


Watching Your Fate Change

by WatUCWatIC



Series: Fated [1]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: F/M, First Movie, Gen, Have not touched in 6 years, Pre-Movie, Watching the Movie, Wrote this when I was 14
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-17
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:53:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 45,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25154257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WatUCWatIC/pseuds/WatUCWatIC
Summary: Hiccup has just finished his latest machine, ready to take down his first dragon during the next raid. Then an enthusiastic witch magics all of Berk and the dragons to a movie theater. They watch the first movie.
Relationships: Hiccup & Gobber, Hiccup & OC, Hiccup & Stoick, Hiccup & Toothless, Hiccup/Astrid, OC/OC
Series: Fated [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1822216
Comments: 7
Kudos: 113





	1. Life, Bitter Life

**Author's Note:**

> I tried uploading this to AO3 ages ago and stopped because I'm lazy. Just gonna do it now.

It's just another day in Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third's life. He's sitting quietly under a tree, eating a fish slowly while drawing on his book carefully.

_This one for sure,_ he thought. He was designing his next best invention, the Bola Mangler. It was meant to throw bolas at dragons. It was impossible for him to even lift them, so this invention was to help with that. Only a few weeks and I'll be done...

_Then, Dad will be proud._ Hiccup took a second to stare at the design with a small smile, thinking of the phrase he'd wished all his life for his father, Stoick the Vast, chief of Berk, to say:

_'I'm proud to call you my son.'_

He sighed. How many times had it been that he'd invented something new and ended up getting told off by his father in front of everyone in the village? He lost count after the time he'd turned 12 and accidentally got hit with a hammer in the head.

Hiccup shook his head. No! He was a viking! Getting hurt was just part of it...but he was pretty sure surviving was just as important...

_But... It never works anyway_ , he thought. He put the fish down and started to draw again. It still got his mind off things like-

"Hey, useless," he heard the voice of his cousin ring in the air, and dread filled him.

"Hey, Snotlout."

"What are you doing? It better not be another one of your inventions," he said, teasing but slightly serious. Last time his house hadn't survived the fire Hiccup had (somehow) caused.

"Ugh," came Ruffnut's voice, which was instantly followed by her brother's.

"Oh, it's just the loser."

_Great, just great. How do they always manage to find me!?_

He was about to give some type of retort that would have most likely earned himself a beating (not too rough, but rough enough for his gangly form) but heard Fishlegs' voice.

"Uh, guys. Why are we here? Dragon training starts in a few weeks, so I think we should be practicing on our dragon fac-"

"Put a sock in it 'legs," said Snotlout.

"No, he's right, Snotlout," came Astrid's ( _Oh gods, it's her!_ ) voice. "We should be training right now, not ganging up on a guy who couldn't even take on a guppy."

_Ouch_ , thought Hiccup, feeling the familiar sting of embarrassment and broken ego hit. At least his dad wasn't here.

He bit his lip, closing his book, pencil still inside and placed it in its usual place inside the brown vest he was wearing.

"Well, it's been nice chatting with you guys, but I better leave," Hiccup walked away, leaving Snotlout flirting with Astrid who was ignoring him; Fishlegs reciting the facts he'd learned after reading the book of dragons and the twins, who had somehow gotten in a fight again.

_Life, sweet life_ , he thought bitterly.

* * *

He arrived at the blacksmith's stall, and put on his apron.

"Afternoon, Hiccup," greeted Gobber. "Thought you were eating lunch, you couldn't have been gone for more than ten minutes," he stated.

"I wasn't that hungry," which wasn't a lie, considering he'd lost his appetite at the sound of Snotlout's voice.

"You better eat more Hiccup, or you'll stay a fishbone forever," Gobber chuckled.

Hiccup sighed. He'd stay a fishbone no matter what. He'd already tried eating his heart out, but ended up sick in bed for two days, throwing up non-stop. _I'm really useless if I have to keep Dad from his chiefly duties just because I ate too much..._

"Here," Gobber passed him a bludgeon, "Reweigh this would ya?"

Hiccup stumbled but managed to lift the weapon. Then he got to work.

* * *

When Hiccup got home, his father was already at the table eating dinner. The chief looked up as Hiccup opened the door.

"Hello Hiccup." He wasn't scolding, but he wasn't particularly happy. He was indifferent, and that was the most positive reaction Hiccup had ever gotten out of Stoick.

"Hey Dad," he waved. He started up the stairs.

"Aren't you going to eat dinner?"

Hiccup looked at the bowl of stew Stoick was eating. Hiccup wasn't a picky eater, but eels were where he set the limit (Of course, most people didn't know this. Well, actually, nobody knew this). He almost scowled but instead said, "Not hungry Dad."

Stoick let him leave to his room.

Hiccup sat down at his desk, where he'd spent more time on than his own bed, and started to redesign a particularly dangerous malfunction on the Mangler.

_Don't fix this and I'll break someone's nose,_ he thought. Then again, he'd done that a few times already.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. _Story of my life._

He fell asleep on his desk that night again.

* * *

"AHHH!"

Stoick woke up with a start, hearing Hiccup's scream. He ran out of his room, not bothering with shoes, panicking for his son.

He almost hesitated when he found himself in front of the door. Hiccup was actually not in danger, probably.

His father instinct had taken over, and he'd forgotten who he was dealing with. Nonetheless, he entered the room, ready to scold Hiccup for almost waking up the whole village so late in the night.

He didn't expect to find a girl cornering Hiccup. Then again, Hiccup always had something unexpected laid out for him.

He vaguely noted how his son was no longer looking frightened, but rather, he looked annoyed. He'd never seen his son's annoyed face however, and couldn't be sure. Facial features weren't vikings' best subject, because usually they had beards or just plainly looked angry.

"Just go awa-"

"Hiccup, who is this," he asked his son, not meaning for it to come out as accusing. Hiccup flinched, but Stoick didn't notice.

"I- I don't know Dad. She just appeared in my room, st- staring at me while sleeping! I don't even kn-"

"But you look so cute when you sleep," giggled the girl, causing Hiccup to turn a rare combination of pale and red.

Stoick took some time to look at the girl closely. She had on a light dress, horrid for the climate they had, and pink hair that looked natural despite the fact that pink hair was _not_ natural.

"Are you a witch?" he asked without hesitation.

"Yes," she answered lightly. Great. What else did he expect from his son. Next, he'd be hanging out with dragons planning the vikings' demise.

"Thor, what do you want with _Hiccup_ , of all people," he asked, genuinely curious.

"He's the most interesting person I've met, what do you want from me?"

Interesting!? Hiccup!?

The witch didn't stop following Hiccup for the rest of the day, much to Hiccup's annoyance. During lunch, it also started to get on the villager's nerves.

"His fate is so cool! I'm telling you! I can't really just tell you because you'd take it badly, but he's going to be the most important person in th-"

"Stop!" Stoick yelled, having had enough of the nonsense. Some vikings mumbled in agreement.

"Witch-"

"Call me Clara."

"Wha- what?"

"Clara! My name is Clara! _Geez._ "

Stoick narrowed his eyes. "Whatever you may call yourself; Stop spouting nonsense, and now I kindly ask you to leave Berk."

"And leave knowing I get the chance to hang with Hiccup for a whole day!? Nu-uh, I'm not leaving!"

"Just stop with that already," came Snotlout, "Useless here can't have that great of a future. Hel, I bet the farthest his name will ever get to is Useful," he joked, and Hiccup blushed. That was the name he was going to pick if he ever got the chance. It wasn't bad, and it didn't hold much expectation either.

_Great; time to choose a new name..._

Clara stayed silent for a moment.

"You guys don't believe me!?"

They glared at her as if to say, _'obviously'._

"But, he takes down a Night Fury-" The crowd laughs, and both her a Hiccup straighten their backs a little.

"I could do it," he argued, and the laughs increased.

"He will become greater than even his _father_! He will acquire _thousands_ of enemies and travel the _whole_ world in less than five years!" _Okay, maybe not a thousand enemies, but whatever..._

"Impossible," Astrid argued. It took them at least a year to find the country next to them, how could Hiccup travel the world in five? Was the world that small?

Clara glared.

"Fine! If you don't believe me, I'll just show you!" And like that, everyone blacked out.

* * *

_I can't believe I did this._ Clara looked at the dragons and Vikings in the theater, which was larger than any normal theater should be. _Zero's going to kill me..._

She watched as the vikings and dragons slowly, one by one regained consciousness, starting with Hiccup, followed by Stoick and so on. The Night Fury stayed silent at the back of the theater, seemingly realizing the situation he found himself in.

It wasn't until a viking started to attack a Nadder that she interrupted them.

"Stop!"

"Clara! Wha-" Hiccup was interrupted by his father.

"Witch! Where have you brought us! Why did you trap us with these beasts." He gestured to the vikings and then to the dragons, who were hissing violently causing Hiccup to flinch constantly. _He looks like he's having a spasm_ , Clara mused momentarily.

"You said you didn't believe me, so I brought you to the evidence."

"What!"

"I have your son's fate in this little object," she said in a sing-song voice, lifting a strange circular flat disk in her hands. Stoick shivered.

"What are you going to do,Witch!"

"Oh _please_. I'm going to show it to you, of course," and she disappears.

"Now take a seat, and no killing, either of you," came her voice from a seat next to Astrid's, and the crowd couldn't _not_ obey her.

And like that, the movie started...


	2. Good Morning!

**_THE SCREEN FADES IN:_ **

**_EXT. NORTH SEA/VILLAGE - NIGHT_ **

**_We skim above a dark, wild ocean. The camera turns toward a_ **  
**_lone island, Berk. It is a gigantic shard of rock jutting_ **  
**_straight out of the water._ **

Eyes narrow at the sight of their village.

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
**This, is Berk.**

"Is that me?" Hiccup asked no one in particular. _Maybe I will become someone great_ , he thought.

**It's twelve days**  
**North of hopeless, and a few**  
**degrees South of freezing to death.**  
**It's located solidly on the**  
**meridian of misery.**

Some of the vikings snort. Others look offended and others try to look offended (but can't because they're too busy holding in a chuckle).

Too bad it was his father that seemed to be genuinely offended, along with Astrid. At least Gobber seems amused.

Hiccup sighed, and turned to the giant picture, which seemed to be what would uncover his destiny.

**_The camera drifts over rolling hills to reveal a small_ **  
**_village nestled on an outcropping of sea mounts._ **

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**My village. In a word, sturdy.**  
**And it's been here for seven**  
**generations, but every single**  
**building is new.**

"It's no wonder why," Spitelout, Snotlout's father, turns to glare at the dragons. Some hiss and snarl in response, but nobody can get out of their seats (or places, in the dragons' case).

**_The camera drifts closer, circling._ **

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**We have fishing, hunting, and a**  
**charming view of the sunsets. The**  
**only problems are the pests.**

Some vikings scoff at the word "pests"

**You see, most places have mice or**  
**Mosquitos.**  
**We have...**

_**Sheep graze peacefully on a hillside. Suddenly one is** _  
**_snatched._ **

_**CUT TO:** _

_**INT. STOICK'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS** _

_**A door is pulled open... as a DRAGON swoops directly toward** _  
_**it, BLASTING FIRE. The door is SLAMMED. The fire shoots** _  
_**through the slats of wood, illuminating HICCUP, a gangly** _  
_**teenage Viking.** _

**HICCUP**  
**...dragons.**

"That's me!"

The vikings are shocked to see Hiccup displayed in the picture. His gangly form is perfect and realistic, beating even Bucket's art. Stoick is, meanwhile, hoping Hiccup would stay inside for once. Barely outside for a second and already he'd had to shut the door to block out a dragon's fire.

**_EXT. STOICK'S HOUSE_ **

**_He reopens the sizzling door,_ **

Stoick sighs in defeat and Hiccup turns to him, giving him a confused glance.

**_and leaps off of the front porch. He weaves through the erupting_ **  
**_mayhem as Vikings pour out of the buildings, ready for a fight._ **

Some of the vikings muse over the fact that they could never avoid crashing into people and objects so many times, but Hiccup is oblivious to it, seeing as he's never believed it to be such a great thing.

**_More dragons swarm in, setting rooftops alight and hauling_ **  
**_off sheep._ **

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
**Most people would leave. Not us.**  
**We're Vikings. We have stubbornness**  
**Issues.**

More scoffs. Stubbornness issues? The dragon's attacked first. It was only logical to attack back.

**_Vikings sound the alarm. Viking men and women pour out into_ **  
**_the streets, axes in hand._ **

Some vikings gasp, recognizing themselves and other neighbors.

**_ON HICCUP darting through alleys, staying under eaves, making_ **  
**_his way through the battle._ **

More musing, and at this point Astrid realizes an advantage she'd never taken into consideration before. She was just as gangly as Hiccup. She could do all of that too! Of course, it looks easy, she smirked. She would definitely win the upcoming dragon killing competition. **(I don't know if I should have added that. To me it seems she already knew her advantages but meh)**

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**My name's Hiccup. Great name, I**  
**know. But it's not the worst.**

Some vikings _*cough*SNOTLOUT*cough*_ scoffed. Hiccup was what parents named the runt of the litter, how was it not the worst name out there?

Stoick looked over to Hiccup. "You don't like your name?"

"Better than Snotlout," Hiccup said, shrugging. Snotlout didn't hear him.

**Parents believe a hideous name will**  
**frighten off gnomes and trolls.**  
**Like our charming Viking demeanor**  
**wouldn't do that.**

Some dragons chirped in agreement, and a few vikings fidgeted in discomfort.

_Snort._

Hiccup stiffened. He turned to look over to his right, which he rarely ever did, and found something that terrified him half to death.

"Ahh!" The movie paused.

"What is it Hiccup?" Stoick asked. Hiccup buried his face between the seats he and his father were in.

"Dragon," he whispered. He was _not_ going to be embarrassed by being frightened of a dragon! He couldn't defend himself if it decided Hiccup looked like a sheep!

Stoick looked up, and was shocked to see the pitch black dragon staring at his son. Gods if only he could stand up.

"Witch! What is the meaning of this," he asked, forcing his voice not to shake.

"Clara! It's Clara, damn it! And what do you mean? You do realized there're other dragons in the room."

"Why is my son seated next to one?" Nobody else was sitting so close to another dragon. The other rows of seats were seperated by a hall; a hall which didn't seperate anything in the last row. Hiccup and the dragon were right in the center of that row.

"Oh _no_ ; that's called a spoiler where I come from. Just watch the movie and you'll see," she said.

Hiccup let out a shaky breath and took in a shakier one. "It's alright. It can't attack it can't attack it can't attack," he repeatedly whispered.

Stoick huffed. Clara pressed play, and the dark dragon dragged its eyes away from the boy's figure.

_**Dragons sweep back and forth, dodging axes and blasting the** _  
_**Vikings who throw them. A burly warrior gets tossed in an** _  
_**explosion, knocking Hiccup to the ground.** _

**VIKING**  
**(FIERCE)**  
**Arggghhhhh!**  
**(cheery, insane)**  
**Mornin'!**

Nobody but the dragons question the act.

**_Hiccup gets to his feet and continues to rush past gigantic_ **  
**_men and women._ **

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
**Meet the neighbors. Hoark the**  
**Haggard...**

**HOARK**  
**What are you doing out!?**

**HICCUP**  
**... Burnthair the Broad...**

**BURNTHAIR**  
**Get inside!**

**HICCUP**  
**... Phlegma the Fierce...**

**PHLEGMA THE FIERCE**  
**Get back inside!**

"Feeling the love," Hiccup muttered, attracting Stoick's attention. His voice was still shaking, but the comment didn't seem at all forced. He mused that his son was so... weird. Weird enough to let out yet another one of his retorts in the presence of a dragon that could quite possibly kill him.

**HICCUP**  
**Ack.**

_**He passes a silent ox of a viking, picking his ear.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Yep, just Ack.**

_**Enter STOICK, the biggest Viking of all. He yanks Hiccup from** _  
_**the path of a strafing dragon and holds aloft to the crowd.** _

Some of the teenagers laugh at this. It never got old for them.

**STOICK**  
**Hiccup!?**  
**(accusingly; to the crowd)**  
**What is he doing out again?!**

"Just trying to get to Gobber's," answers Hiccup. Clara smiles.

Stoick looks at him, and starts, as if justifying his actions.

"You bring trouble where ever you go Hiccup, I can't be too sure-"

"Oh come on, Dad!"

**(TO HICCUP)**  
**What are you doing out?! Get**  
**inside!**

**_The flames light up his scowling face and matted red beard._ **

"Ladies and Vikings, my Dad's face twenty-four-seven."

Clara and Gobber laugh, along with a few other vikings.

_**He sets Hiccup down and turns to the sky, searching.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
**(IN AWE)**  
**That's Stoick the Vast. Chief of**  
**the tribe. They say that when he**  
**was a baby he popped a dragon's**  
**head clean off of its shoulders.**  
**Do I believe it?**

Stoick smirked. That had never happened, but he knew some of the teenagers still spoke of it. He very much doubted Hiccup believed it though.

_**Stoick grabs a wooden cart and hurls it, knocking the** _  
_**strafing dragon out of the sky.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**Yes I do.**

Stoick stares and Hiccup fidgets awkwardly. He doesn't look at his father as a small smile reaches Stoick's face.

_**An EXPLOSION forces Vikings to DUCK. Stoick stands firm,** _  
_**brushing flaming debris off of his shoulder.** _

**STOICK**  
**(barking; to his men)**  
**What have we got?**

**VIKING #1**  
**Gronckles. Nadders. Zipplebacks. Oh,**  
**and Hoark saw a Monstrous**  
**Nightmare.**

**STOICK**  
**Any Night Furies?**

**VIKING #1**  
**None so far.**

**STOICK**  
**(RELIEVED)**  
**Good.**

The dragon next to Hiccup gives a short snort and a nod of approval, but Hiccup doesn't notice.

**VIKING**  
**Hoist the torches!**

_**Massive flaming braziers are raised on poles, lighting up the** _  
_**night sky... and revealing swirling dragons of all types.** _  
_**Below, Hiccup crosses an open plaza and ducks into an open** _  
_**building with a tall chimney.** _

_**INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS** _

_**He crosses behind a counter, where a peg-legged, one-armed** _  
_**hulk of a Blacksmith reshapes blades with a hammer and tongs** _  
_**Appendage.** _

"Hey, that's me," shouts Gobber.

**GOBBER**  
**Ah! Nice of you to join the party.**  
**I thought you'd been carried off.**

Some in the crowd chuckle. Even Hiccup smiles at his (only) friend's joke.

_**Hiccup dons a leather apron and starts to put away Gobber's** _  
_**scattered appendages.** _

"Clean up a little will ya?" Clara's voice came.

"I know, right," Hiccup said before he could stop himself.

"You're both very annoying, you know that?"

**HICCUP**  
**Who me? Nah, come on! I'm way too**  
**muscular for their taste. They**  
**wouldn't know what to do with all...**

_**Hiccup strikes a bodybuilder pose.** _

**This.**

The room is filled with more laughs and some dragons snort. Hiccup sinks into his seat in embarrassment and Stoick hides his face behind his hand. Even the dragon next to Hiccup gave out a snort.

**GOBBER**  
**They need toothpicks, don't they?**

"Gobber!" Hiccup complained. This was already too embarrassing as it was...

Clara laughed along with the vikings and dragons.

_**Hiccup gets to work, transferring bent and chipped weapons to** _  
_**the forge as Vikings crowd the counter for replacements.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
**The meathead with attitude and**  
**interchangeable hands is Gobber.**  
**I've been his apprentice ever since**  
**I was little. Well...littler.**

_Too true_ , thought some vikings. They chuckled.

Hiccup gave a sigh. He set himself up for that one. When exactly had he said all of this?

_**EXT. VILLAGE - CONTINUOUS** _  
_**ON STOICK** _

**STOICK**  
**We move to the lower defenses.**  
**We'll counter-attack with the**  
**catapults.**

_**Armed men rush past, flanking others who carry sheep to** _  
_**safety. Stoick follows up the rear as, overhead, a dragon** _  
_**strafes the rooftops with Napalm-like fire.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
**See? Old village. Lots and lots**  
**of new houses.**

**VIKING**  
**FIRE!**

_**In response, the fire brigade charges through the plaza -** _  
_**four TEENS, tugging a large wooden cask on wheels. From it,** _  
_**they fill buckets of water to douse the flames. One among** _  
_**them is a cute, energetic Viking girl.** _

_**Hiccup leans out of the stall to watch her.** _

"Hey!" "Hey" shout the twins.

"That's us!" Snotlout stated out.

Fishlegs and Astrid stay quiet; the former being stunned by his image and the latter in suspicion.

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
**Oh and that's Fishlegs, Snotlout.**  
**The twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut.**  
**And...**  
**(DREAMY)**  
**Astrid.**

_**A SLOW-MOTION explosion erupts behind her, framing her in a** _  
_**sexy ball of fire. The others join her, looking awesome and** _  
_**Heroic.** _

"We look awesome," said Tuffnut.

"Awkward," whispered Clara.

Astrid's face remained poker, but Hiccup was blushing at his cousin's snickering,

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**Their job is so much cooler.**

_**Hiccup tries to join them as they pass, but he's hooked by** _  
_**Gobber and hoisted back inside.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(PLEADING)**  
**Ah, come on. Let me out, please. I**  
**need to make my mark.**

**GOBBER**  
**Oh, you've made plenty of marks.**  
**All in the wrong places.**

"Too true."

"Gobber!"

**HICCUP**  
**Please, two minutes. I'll kill a**  
**dragon. My life will get infinitely**  
**better. I might even get a date.**

"Ha!" Snotlout let out a laugh.

**GOBBER**  
**You can't lift a hammer.**

"Yeah, but-"

**You can't swing an axe...**

"Okay, yeah but I-"

_**Gobber grabs a bola (iron balls connected by rope).** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**... you can't even throw one of**  
**These.**

_**A Viking runs by and nabs it out of Gobber's hand, hurling it** _  
_**at a dive-bombing Gronckle. The bola binds its legs, sending** _  
_**it into a heavy crash.** _

Hiccup's eyes widen, and a smirk reaches his lips. He's ready for that if this was the future...

**HICCUP**  
**(ready with the answer)**  
**Okay fine, but...**

_**He rushes to the back corner of the stall and presents a** _  
_**bizarre, wheel barrow-like contraption.** _

"The Mangler! I'm working on that right now," Hiccup stated proudly.

"Oh gods, save us," someone said.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**... this will throw it for me.**

_**Hiccup OPENS the hinged lid of the device. An arm springs up,** _  
_**equipped with twin bows. They prematurely launch a bola,** _  
_**narrowly missing Gobber... and taking out a Viking at the** _  
_**counter.** _

**VIKING**  
**Arggh!**

"Damn! I thought I fixed that! I- I mean, s-sorry!"

"Oh, so you actually think these things through?"

"Shut up..." This was the first time he'd actually thought to revise a weapon over, rather than test it out on the field. _Still didn't work..._

**GOBBER**  
**See, now this right here is what**  
**I'm talking about.**

**HICCUP**  
**Mild calibration issue-**

**GOBBER**  
**Hiccup. If you ever want to get out**  
**there to fight dragons, you need**  
**to stop all...**

_**Gobber gestures in Hiccup's general direction.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**... this.**

**HICCUP**  
**(ASTONISHED)**  
**But... you just pointed to all of**  
**Me.**

"You just pointed to all of me," the real Hiccup says in astonishment, his voice mixing in with the voice on the screen

"My point exactly."

**GOBBER**  
**Yes! That's it! Stop being all of**  
**you.**

**HICCUP**  
**(THREATENING)**  
**Ohhhh...**

**GOBBER**  
**(MIMICKING)**  
**Ohhhhh, yes.**

**HICCUP**  
**You, sir, are playing a dangerous**  
**game. Keeping this much,**  
**raw...Vikingness contained.**

Scoffs from the audience.

**(BEAT)**  
**There will be consequences!**

_Chuckles_ from the audience.

_**Gobber tosses him a sword.** _

**GOBBER**  
**I'll take my chances. Sword.**  
**Sharpen. Now.**

_Laughs_ from the audience.

_**Hiccup takes it begrudgingly and lobs it onto the grinding** _  
_**wheel. He stews... fantasizing...** _

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
**One day I'll get out there. Because**  
**killing a dragon is everything**  
**around here.**

_**EXT. VILLAGE - LOWER PLAINS - CONTINUOUS** _

_**Nadders land, gathering like seagulls around a seemingly** _  
_**vacant house.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
**A Nadder head is sure to get me at**  
**least noticed.**

Some Nadders snort. They were at least mentioned, and that had to mean they were great. It was all vanity with them after all.

_**The Nadders clamber onto the building, tearing the roof and** _  
_**walls apart. Sheep pour out and SCATTER.** _  
_**Elsewhere, hippo-like Gronckles pick drying racks clean of** _  
_**fish and fly off like loaded pelicans.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**Gronckles are tough. Taking down**  
**one of those would definitely get**  
**me a girlfriend.**

Some Gronckles beat their wings in appreciation. They were dragons worthy of being mentioned after all, and they surpassed the Nadders...right?

_**A stealthy, snake-like dragon head peeks over a rooftop,** _  
_**breathing gas into a chimney.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**A Zippelback? Exotic, exciting. Two**  
**heads, twice the status.**

The Zipplebacks in the back start to light a fire when Clara appears with a bucket of water and throws it at the right **(by that I mean correct; I have no idea which is which, and I'm not sure how Clara knew)** head.

_**A second head pokes through the door and lights it. KABLAM!** _  
_**The two heads fly through the explosion, their necks zipping** _  
_**together to reveal a single body.** _  
_**It flies past Stoick as he climbs to the top of a CATAPULT** _  
_**TOWER.** _

**CATAPULT OPERATOR**  
**They found the sheep!**

**STOICK**  
**(FRUSTRATED)**  
**Concentrate fire over the lower**  
**bank!**

**CATAPULT OPERATOR**  
**Fire!**

_**Boulders are catapulted at the corralling Nadders...** _  
_**Just as a huge red dragon whips past, spraying the base of** _  
_**the catapult with sticky fire.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
**And then there's the Monstrous**  
**Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go**  
**after those.**

A Nightmare bows its head humbly. They already knew they were dangerous and they weren't vane like the Nadders. They acknowledged that they deserved respect, was all.

**They have this nasty**  
**habit of setting themselves on**  
**Fire.**

"Oh yes, other than that, they're harmless and make lovely pets," Gobber said bitterly.

"Sorry?"

_**It emerges from the flames, climbing the catapult with a** _  
_**leering, toothy grin.** _

**STOICK**  
**Reload! I'll take care of this.**

_**Stoick takes on the Nightmare, face to hammer.** _  
_**Suddenly, a LOUD BALLISTIC MOANING streaks overhead. The** _  
_**catapult crew ducks.** _

A few gasps among the crowd and the dragon next to Hiccup looks up in recognition. Hiccup doesn't fail to notice it this time.

_**INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS** _

_**ON HICCUP, looking up from his work, reacting to the same** _  
_**sound.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
**But the ultimate prize is the**  
**dragon no one has ever seen. We**  
**call it the-**

**VIKING**  
**Night Fury! Get down!**

_**Vikings everywhere take shelter. The moaning sound BUILDS.** _

The dark dragon next to Hiccup chortles, and Hiccup jumps.

_Oh gods, it's a-_

He suddenly can't breath. Hiccup stiffens, but nobody notices.

_**EXT. VILLAGE - CATAPULT - CONTINUOUS** _

_**The Monstrous Nightmare suddenly stops fighting and takes** _  
_**flight. Stoick looks skyward.** _

**STOICK**  
**JUMP!**

_**KABOOM! The Catapult EXPLODES as though hit by an artillery** _  
_**shell... sending Stoick and the crew leaping for their lives.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
**This thing never steals food, never**  
**shows itself, and...**

_**The sound recedes, leaving the crippled catapult in flames.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**...never misses.**

"Damn right," says an annoyed viking.

**(BEAT)**  
**No one has ever killed a Night**  
**Fury. That's why I'm going to be**  
**the first.**

The room is filled with condescending laughs, and Hiccup straightens his back, forgetting anything about the dragon next to him to pride.

"I can do it," he defended himself.

"Sure you can, Hiccup."

"Shut it Gobber." Real annoyance seeps through his voice.

_**IN THE STALL** _

_**Gobber trades his hammer for an axe.** _

**GOBBER**  
**Man the fort, Hiccup, they need me**  
**out there!**

_**Gobber pauses. Turns with a threatening glare.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**Stay. Put. There. You know what I**  
**Mean.**

"Hel no," -Hiccup.

_**Gobber charges into the fray, HOLLERING.** _  
_**ON HICCUP, a smirk crosses his face.** _

_**EXT. VILLAGE - MOMENTS LATER** _

_**WHAM! Hiccup pushes his wheeled contraption through a wall of** _  
_**clustered Vikings. He weaves through the ongoing mayhem, as** _  
_**fast as his legs can carry him.** _

"I swear, one of these days..."

"Hiccup," Stoick started, "listen to Gobber..."

 _Hel no_ , Hiccup decided not to say it aloud this time.

**VIKING #6 (O.S.)**  
**Hiccup, where are you going!**

**VIKING #7**  
**Come back here!**

**HICCUP**  
**I know. Be right back!**

_**ON THE PLAIN BELOW** _

_**The Nadders have cornered the house-full of sheep. They close** _  
_**in, ready to spring upon them.** _  
_**Stoick suddenly appears, HURLING FISHING NETS over them. The** _  
_**surprised Nadders are caught. Stoick and his men rush in.** _  
_**A Nadder blasts a hole through its net. Stoick leaps onto it,** _  
_**clamping his thick arms around its head, forcing its jaws** _  
_**shut.** _

**STOICK**  
**Mind yourselves! The devils still**  
**have some juice in them.**

_**ON THE PLAIN ABOVE** _

_**Hiccup reaches a cliff overlooking the smoking CATAPULT and** _  
_**drops the handles to the ground. He cranks several levers,** _  
_**unfolding and then cocking the bowed arms of his contraption.** _  
_**He drops a bola onto a chamber and then pivots the weapon on** _  
_**a gimbal head toward the dark sky.** _  
_**He listens, with his eye pressed to the scope, hand poised on** _  
_**the trigger. He hears the NIGHT FURY approaching... and turns** _  
_**his aim to the defense tower. It closes in for the final** _  
_**strike, completely camouflaged in the night.** _

**HICCUP**  
**(TO HIMSELF)**  
**Come on. Give me something to shoot**  
**at, give me something to shoot at.**

_**KABLAM! The tower topples. The blast of fire illuminates the** _  
_**dragon for a split second. Hiccup pulls the trigger.** _  
_**KERTHUNK! The flexed arms SNAP forward, springing the weapon** _  
_**off the ground. The bola disappears into the sky, followed by** _  
_**a WHACK and a SCREECH.** _

The room is silent.

"Oh I hit it! Yes, I hit it! Did anybody see that?" Hiccup asked the crowd, staring at the screen in amazement...

"He... Actually took out a Night Fury," came Snotlout's voice.

Astrid stared at the screen in disbelief, much like Stoick was.

"You-"

"I-"

"Never thought you could do it, Hiccup,"

Hiccup snaps out of his daze and glares a Gobber.

"Feeling the love," he rolls his eyes. He slumped down in his seat. He snuck a glance at the dragon next to him. It was glaring at him, and he felt himself coward farther more into the seat.

"Hiccup?" His father asks, noticing the act.

"I'm fine! Just keep- just keep watching the... prophecy?"

"Movie." says Clara

"Alright... That."

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(surprised, then elated)**  
**Oh I hit it! Yes, I hit it! Did**  
**anybody see that?**

"That"s what I said!"

_**Hiccup's victory is short-lived. A Monstrous Nightmare** _  
_**appears, slithering up over the lip of the cliff.** _

Gasps are heard all around the room.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Except for you.**

Some gasps turn into involuntary chuckles and Stoick covers his face.

"You can't be afraid like a normal person, Hiccup?"

"I'm pretty sure I can," Hiccup responded, scooting away from the Night Fury he was "destined" to take down.

_**ON STOICK, holding down the netted Nadders. He hears a** _  
_**familiar HOLLER and looks up to see...** _  
_**HICCUP running through the PLAZA, SCREAMING,** _  
_**with the NIGHTMARE fast on his heels.** _

"Nice scream," said Ruffnut, and Hiccup sighed. They would have heard it anyway if the "movie" really did show the future.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on the side of his head.

"Ow!" He turned to see the Night Fury innocently staring at the screen. He scowled.

"Really? If this is fate, I'm pretty sure that's not gonna stop me from shooting you down," he said, suddenly forgetting what he was speaking to. His eyes widened, and he shrunk when the Night Fury growled, reminding him.

Stoick heard that. "What!"

"Oh my _God_! What is it now Stoick!?"

"You- you witch!"

"I am."

"You seated my son next to a Night Fury of all dragons!" He said, angrily ignoring her previous sarcasm.

Clara looked at him. "So you found out so fast, huh? I expected Hiccup to, but most vikings aren't very observing."

"Well, it _was_ m-"

"That's not the point. Why would you seat Hiccup next to this Devil!"

She turned away from him with a smile.

"It seemed...appropriate." Clara pressed play before Stoick could reply.

_**Alarmed, Stoick abandons the Nadders and runs off.** _

**STOICK**  
**(to his men, who are holding the Nadders down)**  
**DO NOT let them escape!**

_**IN THE PLAZA** _

_**Vikings scatter as Hiccup dodges a near fatal blast. The** _  
_**Nightmare's sticky, Napalm-like fire splashes up onto** _  
_**buildings, setting them alight.** _

"At least I can dodge the blasts," Hiccup pales. He'd never gotten that close to dying, or that's what he thought anyway. It's hard to realize when running away from a dragon, which he'd done two or three times before already. But a Nightmare! Hiccup felt kind of proud.

_**Hiccup ducks behind the last standing brazier - the only** _  
_**shelter available. The Nightmare blasts it, spraying fire all** _  
_**around him. Hiccup peers around the smoldering post. No sign** _  
_**of the Nightmare.** _

"Why don't you try the other side," suggests Ruffnut.

_**He turns back to find it leering at him, blocking his escape.** _  
_**It takes a deep breath. Hiccup is finished.** _

Some of the vikings, Stoick, Gobber and Hiccup included, pale at the image. A few chuckle.

The Night Fury chortles in approval and Hiccup turns to glare. This dragon was starting to piss him off, and he was absolutely sure the feeling was mutual.

"Never mind," Ruffnut rolls her eyes and Tuffnut snickers.

"So much for Hiccup the Night Fury Slayer," comments Snotlout.

_**Suddenly, Stoick LEAPS between them, tackling the Nightmare** _  
_**to the ground. They tumble and wrestle, resuming their** _  
_**earlier fight. The Nightmare tries to toast him, but only** _  
_**coughs up smoke.** _

"Go Dad!" Hiccup cheers along with some vikings.

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**You're all out.**

_**He smashes the Nightmare repeatedly in the face, driving it** _  
_**away. It takes to the air and disappears. Winded, Stoick** _  
_**turns to Hiccup.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
**Oh, and there's one more thing you**  
**need to know...**

_**The burnt brazier pole collapses, sending the massive iron** _  
_**basket crashing. It bounces down the hill, destroying as it** _  
_**goes and scattering the Vikings who were holding down the** _  
_**netted Nadders. The freed dragons escape... with several** _  
_**sheep in tow.** _

"Damn it," some of the vikings exclaim.

"Good job Useless."

"At least I can shoot a Night Fury and survive a Nightmare in the same morning," Hiccup retorted, effectively keeping Snotlout's mouth shut.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Sorry, dad.**

_**EXT. VILLAGE - UPPER PLAZA - CONTINUOUS** _

_**The escaped Nadders fly past with sheep in their clutches.** _  
_**The raid is over. The dragons have clearly won.** _  
_**The murmuring crowd eyes Stoick, awaiting his response.** _

"Ugh," Hiccup leans his head back.. _Here it comes_ , he thought.

And so did everyone else, dragons not included, because it always came.

Stoick looks at his son. "Sorry about this Hiccup," he says, and Hiccup stares back. Then he smiles.

Nobody sees him smile, but Stoick, and he can't help but feel nostalgia. It's been so long since Hiccup smiled, one of his real smiles. Not the sarcastic smirks he may sometimes give Gobber.

**HICCUP**  
**(SHEEPISH)**  
**Okay, but I hit a Night Fury.**

_**Stoick grabs Hiccup by the back scruff of his collar and** _  
_**hauls him away, fuming with embarrassment.** _

"Hahaha," laugh the twins and Snotlout. Astrid looks at them and rolls her eyes, while Fishlegs sighs.

Hiccup's smile widens. While the movie Hiccup wasn't doing so great, he was liking it better out here more and more. His dad seemed more accepting, and even Fishlegs and Astrid seemed to be on his side, and he could always count on Gobber, of course.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**It's not like the last few times,**  
**Dad. I mean I really actually hit**  
**it. You guys were busy and I had a**  
**very clear shot. It went down, just**  
**off Raven Point. Let's get a search**  
**party out there, before it-**

**STOICK**  
**-STOP!**

Real Hiccup winced out of his smile, remembering that voice all too well. The Night Fury looked at him.

 _So vikings actually hold emotions_ , it mused. _Maybe there's a reason they hunt us after all_ , he thought. Of course, the unholy offspring of lighting and Death didn't let itself continue to think that, already having heard the stupid reasons from the boy at the beginning of the prophecy.

**Just...stop.**

_**He releases Hiccup. Everyone goes silent, staring** _  
_**expectantly.** _

"Don't you guys have things to do or something?"

"Nah. This is way more entertaining," said Tuffnut. Ruffnut agreed and even Gobber nodded.

_So much for counting on Gobber..._

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**Every time you step outside,**  
**disaster follows. Can you not see**  
**that I have bigger problems?**  
**Winter's almost here and I have an**  
**entire village to feed!**

**_Hiccup looks around. All eyes are upon him._ **

"Go _away_!" Some vikings smirk and others chuckle.

**HICCUP**  
**Between you and me, the village**  
**could do with a little less**  
**feeding, don't ya think?**

_**A few rotund Vikings stir self-consciously.** _

Vikings in the real world do the same, and Hiccup's amused that the chuckles stopped after that comment.

**STOICK**  
**This isn't a joke, Hiccup!**  
**(EXASPERATED)**  
**Why can't you follow the simplest**  
**orders?**

**HICCUP**  
**I can't stop myself. I see a dragon**  
**and I have to just... kill it, you**  
**know? It's who I am, Dad.**

**STOICK**  
**You are many things, Hiccup. But a**  
**dragon killer is not one of them.**

Hiccup flinches. So his father didn't think he was a dragon killer. Did his father even consider him a viking? Neither of his neighbors (Stoick and the Night Fury) fail to notice the flinch.

Hiccup doesn't even have the energy to comment on the stares and nods on the screen.

_**Sting. Hiccup looks around to see many nods of agreement.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**Get back to the house.**  
**(TO GOBBER)**  
**Make sure he gets there. I have his**  
**mess to clean up.**

"S'not like I _wanted_ to get attacked by a Nightmare," Hiccup mutters. Stoick looks at him, feeling guilty. He didn't say anything though.

_**Stoick lumbers off in the opposite direction.** _  
_**Gobber leads Hiccup through the walk of shame. They pass the** _  
_**teen fire brigade as they snicker.** _

**TUFFNUT**  
**Quite the performance.**

**SNOTLOUT**  
**I've never seen anyone mess up that**  
**badly. That helped!**

**HICCUP**  
**Thank you, thank you. I was**  
**trying, so...**

_**Hiccup avoids Astrid's glare and heads up toward a large** _  
_**house, standing prominently on the hill above the others.** _

Nobody comments on the scene. The teenagers messing with Hiccup wasn't uncommon. Stoick however never actually knew about it, so he was quite perplexed.

Gobber and Hiccup sigh, ready for the rant Hiccup would usually perform for Gobber after his father's scolding.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**I really did hit one.**

**GOBBER**  
**Sure, Hiccup.**

**HICCUP**  
**He never listens.**

**GOBBER**  
**Well, it runs in the family.**

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"'Man the fort, Hiccup, Stay there.' Hiccup, do you ever listen to me?"

"I shot a dragon! That was worth it, don't you think!?" Gobber scoffed.

**HICCUP**  
**And when he does, it's always with**  
**this... disappointed scowl. Like**  
**someone skimped on the meat in his**  
**Sandwich.**

"No I don't."

"Yeah you do, actually," responded Hiccup.

"No I don't," Stoic spoke with more authority.

"Actually, you do," Gobber decided to say, "And I'll shut up now," he turned from Stoick's glare.

**(MIMICKING STOICK)**  
**Excuse me, barmaid. I'm afraid you**  
**brought me the wrong offspring. I**  
**ordered an extra large boy with**  
**beefy arms. Extra guts and glory on**  
**the side. This here. This is a**  
**talking fish bone.**

Tuffnut and Ruffnut started to laugh, and even Hiccup had to admit, his impression of his Dad was pretty comical. The Night Fury and other dragons seemed to agree, but he couldn't be sure. He didn't think dragons could laugh...

Stoick looked at the screen, pained at his son's impression of him. Then again, it wasn't like it wasn't somewhat true. He loved Hiccup, but to be honest, he _did_ find his son's appearance frustrating. But what he found the most frustrating was Hiccup's unique attitude.

He was weird and not viking-like. It made grown men such as himself be wary of him. That was what frustrated Stoick. It was just a unique attribute Hiccup had. An example would be his adaptability. Why couldn't he have some of that viking stubborness that made viking Viking? Work out until he could lift a bola rather than build strange machines?

**GOBBER**  
**You're thinking about this all**  
**wrong. It's not so much what you**  
**look like. It's what's inside that**  
**he can't stand.**

Some vikings laughed, and Stoick noticed how Gobber translated what he had just thought, but completely wrong.

"Thank you, Gobber, for summing that up," he heard Hiccup retort, and Gobber chuckled.

**_(Beat)_ **

**HICCUP**  
**Thank you, for summing that up.**

"Just said that," Hiccup says in a sing song voice.

_**They reach the doorway.** _

**GOBBER**  
**Look, the point is, stop trying so**  
**hard to be something you're not.**

_**Hiccup SIGHS heavily.** _

The one in real life does the same. _I just want to be one of you guys_ , he thinks.

**HICCUP**  
**I just want to be one of you guys.**

_**Gobber eyes him sympathetically. Hiccup turns and goes** _  
_**through the front door.** _

Some of the vikings sigh. Even Hiccup was down. Usually he was the hardest person to break, other than Stoick.

_(No one realized that they had just compared Hiccup to his father.)_

**_And straight out the back door. He hurries off into the_ **  
**_woods, determined._ **

" _Thor_ , can't you just stay inside," Gobber exclaims. Hiccup, along with some Vikings chuckle.

_**INT. GREAT HALL - DAY** _

_**A noisy din of PROTESTING VOICES leads to...** _  
_**STOICK, glowering in the firelight. Surrounded by his men.** _

**STOICK**  
**Either we finish them or they'll**  
**finish us! It's the only way we'll**  
**be rid of them! If we find the**  
**nest and destroy it, the dragons**  
**will leave. They'll find another**  
**Home.**

"That's a dumb plan," Clara states out, and Hiccup nods in agreement.

"What's wrong with it?" Stoick asked.

Hiccup answered. "The dragons would probably migrate to Berk. They might even come back for revenge."

"You're overthinking it," Stoick said, and then turned to Clara. "And you," he pointed at her, "are a witch."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Stoick stays silent and Clara huffs, but starts the movie again.

**_He sinks his blade into a_ **  
**_LARGE NAUTICAL MAP, spread out on the table... the blade_ **  
**_pierces the middle of an uncharted corner, swirling with_ **  
**_painted sea monsters and dragons._ **

"Nice map," Hiccup says aloud. He'd drawn one before, but it wasn't nearly as well done as this one.

"Bucket drew it," replied Mulch. Bucket waves.

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**(DECIDEDLY)**  
**One more search. Before the ice**  
**sets in.**

**VIKING**  
**Those ships never come back.**

"Then maybe you shouldn't go," replied Hiccup, logically.

The crowd stared at him, and he raised his hands in defence.

"If so many ships disappear, I doubt finding that island will be too beneficial," he reasoned.

They promptly ignore his logical reasoning and continue to watch the movie.

"Tsk," Clara shook her head in disappointment. _They should listen to Hiccup more often._

**STOICK**  
**(MATTER-OF-FACT)**  
**We're Vikings. It's an occupational**  
**hazard. Now who's with me?**

_**Stoick throws up his fist. No one follows. The crowds shifts** _  
_**in restless silence. Head scratches. Eyes averted.** _

"Duh Dada. You're dead," Hiccup joked. "And seriously? Occupational hazard? Who says that?"

Clara giggled.

"What?"

"Shush, and watch the movie."

**VIKING**  
**(FEEBLE)**  
**Today's not good for me.**

**VIKING (CONT'D)**  
**(EQUALLY FEEBLE)**  
**I've gotta do my axe returns.**

**STOICK**  
**Alright. Those who stay will look**  
**after Hiccup.**

_**Hands jut into the air, volunteers galore. Enthusiastic** _  
_**murmurs of prep and packing fill the room.** _

"Hey!"

**PHLEGMA THE FIERCE**  
**To the ships!**

**SPITELOUT**  
**I'm with you Stoic!**

"That's just rude," Hiccup complains, crossing his arms around his chest.

**STOICK**  
**(DRY)**  
**That's more like it.**

_**The Vikings rush for the door, leaving Gobber and Stoick** _  
_**alone. Gobber gulps back the contents of his tankard** _  
_**attachment and scrapes back the bench.** _

**GOBBER**  
**I'll pack my undies.**

"You and undies," comments Hiccup.

"What would you know?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe I've been your apprentice ever since I was little-"

"Littler," adds Ruffnut, and her twin along with Snotlout, Fishlegs and other vikings laugh, but not rudely...

They were joking around, but not laughing at him. This time, they were laughing _with_ him. Hiccup smiled.

And just as fast, frowned. _They're sure different now that they know I took down a Night Fury..._

But, that's what he'd wanted this whole time...right?

**STOICK**  
**No, I need you to stay and train**  
**some new recruits.**

"Dragon training," whispers Astrid.

"Something I'll never be allowed to get into," Hiccup says dryly.

"Now you will," Stoick announces proudly.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, Son."

Hiccup turns back to the movie, giddy.

The Night Fury stays silent but glares at Hiccup from the side. _Disgusting._

**GOBBER**  
**Oh, perfect. And while I'm busy,**  
**Hiccup can cover the stall. Molten**  
**steel, razor sharp blades, lots of**  
**time to himself...what could**  
**possibly go wrong?**

"Absolutely nothing," retorts Hiccup, his past giddiness temporarily left aside.

Stoick sinks onto the bench beside Gobber, his brow burdened.

**STOICK**  
**What am I going to do with him**  
**Gobber?**

"What do you mean?"

**GOBBER**  
**Put him in training with the**  
**others.**

**STOICK**  
**No, I'm serious.**

**GOBBER**  
**So am I.**

_**Stoick turns to him, glaring.** _

**STOICK**  
**He'd be killed before you let the**  
**first dragon out of its cage.**

"I would not! I survived that Nightmare splendidly if I do say so myself. And it was a Nightmare! I-"

"Hiccup."

"Yes Gobber," still a bit miffed.

"Shut up." Hiccup sinks into his seat and crosses his arms.

"I did survive it pretty well."

"Sure you did."

"For a hiccup I sure did."

"You're no longer a hiccup if you took down a Night Fury," Gobber retorts. Hiccup didn't know whether to be happy or annoyed so instead stayed silent, ending the discussion.

**GOBBER**  
**Oh, you don't know that.**

**STOICK**  
**I do know that, actually.**

**GOBBER**  
**No, you don't.**

**STOICK**  
**No, actually I do.**

**GOBBER**  
**No you don't!**

**STOICK**  
**Listen! You know what he's like.**  
**From the time he could crawl he's**  
**been...different. He doesn't**  
**Listen.**

"I listen," Hiccup furrowed his eyebrows. Stoick and Gobber looked at him and Hiccup blushed.

 _I do listen... I just have unaccomplished orders_ , Hiccup thought. Which he did. Make Dad proud. He couldn't do it as a viking, so he might as well try it Hiccup-style.

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**Has the attention span of a**  
**sparrow. I take him fishing and he**  
**goes hunting for... for trolls.**

"Last time we went fishing I was nine! I don't believe in trolls anymore. Only Gobber and little kids do," Hiccup said, and to prove Hiccup's statement:

**GOBBER**  
**(DEFENSIVE)**  
**Trolls exist! They steal your**  
**socks.**  
**(DARKLY)**  
**But only the left ones. What's with**  
**that?**

**STOICK**  
**When I was a boy...**

**GOBBER**  
**(GRUMBLING)**  
**Oh here we go.**

"Here we go again," Hiccup said as well. Stoick turned to him and Gobber along with other vikings chuckled. Gobber had infected Hiccup with sarcasm years ago, which had already been pretty bad before. They were a pair to wonder at when Hiccup wasn't messing things up.

**STOICK**  
**My father told me to bang my head**  
**against a rock and I did it. I**  
**thought it was crazy,**

"It was," Hiccup says.

**but I didn't**  
**question him. And you know what**  
**happened?**

"You got a headache," Hiccup earned another round of chuckles from the crowd. He frowned once again, of course only after the crowd had turned back around in their seats. Taking down a Night Fury had gotten him popular, just as he always wanted. It didn't feel right though.

**GOBBER**  
**You got a headache.**

"I'm getting you out of blacksmithing," Stoick facepalmed. When had his best friend and son become so alike?

**STOICK**  
**That rock split in two. It taught**  
**me what a Viking could do, Gobber.**  
**He could crush mountains, level**  
**forests, tame seas! Even as a boy,**  
**I knew what I was, what I had to**  
**become.**  
**(BEAT)**  
**Hiccup is not that boy.**

Hiccup stayed silent. He knew what his father thought of him. It just hurt when he said it out loud. This time, he couldn't really complain to Gobber like before though.

"That's not true son," Stoick said, and Hiccup nodded. That only made him feel worse. Even he could tell it had been an accident to hit the Night Fury. It was a great coincidence. _Was..._

Everyone turned to the movie but Hiccup looked down at his lap. He sighed, and started to speak before he could stop himself.

"I wish I hadn't hit you," he whispered to the Night Fury, surprising both he and the dragon.

**GOBBER**  
**You can't stop him, Stoick. You can**  
**only prepare him.**

The boy and the Night Fury looked at each other. Hiccup gave an inaudible gasp and the Night Fury cocked its head.

**(BEAT)**  
**Look, I know it seems hopeless. But**  
**the truth is you won't always be**  
**around to protect him. He's going**  
**to get out there again. He's**  
**probably out there now.**

_**ON STOICK, as Gobber's words hit their mark.** _

Hiccup gaped at the Night Fury, but the dragon had already turned.

 _Its eyes are green_ , he thought, realizing he'd never really thought about it before. _It seemed to... understand me... It looked surprised... He has feelings?_ He didn't realize he'd referred to the Night Fury as a "he".

Then he turned to the movie, eyes still wide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here's the thing. I should've probably clarified that this is already complete, I just have to finish editing, so I'm sorry; I can't make it HTTYD2. I wouldn't even know how to set that up considering this is before the movie. I'd be more than happy to write it after I'm done editing this, but not yet. I'd also be glad to do the Gift of the Night Fury.
> 
> Also, sorry for taking so long to update. I hate editing, it takes long without a mouse. Plus, I'm only free on Fridays and maybe weekends. Meh. Ignore homework it is.
> 
> Now, I'd like to clarify one thing in particular. I wrote this to understand characters, not to make it funny or enjoyable for an audience. I really just don't see Hiccup as completely selfless. Nor do I see him completely brave (especially not before he met Toothless). This may be different from what you're used to, but what you're probably used to sometimes annoys me so... yeah. I guess there's only one perfect fic for everyone and mine is the one I wrote (except Hitchups. I love Hitchups. Especially chapter 19. Thank you for your story Antic Repartee)
> 
> Thazzit. See ya, I guess...


	3. Life Sucks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't wait anymore to upload this chapter. Plus, I got a fifteenth review already.
> 
> Anyway. You guyz also want me to do a series one. That's the most questionable one of all (no matter how many times I've fantasized about writing it). I'll need the transcript, an OC to introduce them, a reason, the time to work on it and a place to start. It'll seem kind of boring if it's right after the movie, but I don't want to explain the whole dragons thing to the pre-movie Berkians. At least if I do the second movie, I'll just start form where I left off on this fic, making Clara beg Zero for one more movie rather than send the Vikings and dragons back home.

_**EXT. WOODS - DAY** _

_**ON AN OPEN NOTEBOOK** _

_**A drawn map of the island, covered in X's.** _  
_**Hiccup looks up from it and peeks over a gorge, expectantly.** _  
_**Sees nothing.** _  
_**He adds another 'X' to the page, then scratches his pencil** _  
_**over the whole map in frustration. He snaps the book closed** _  
_**and pockets it.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Ugh, the gods hate me. Some people**  
**lose their knife or their mug. No,**  
**not me. I manage to lose an entire**  
**Dragon.**

The vikings laugh and the dragons gave a small crow that somewhat resembled a laugh. Hiccup, being the only one who realized, turned to the dragons and cocked his head. His eyes went over the dragons, and some even seemed to smile. Hiccup's eyes narrowed as he observed the dragons for three more seconds before turning back to his future self's image.

**Hiccup WHACKS a low-hanging branch. It SNAPS back at him,**  
**hitting him in the face.**

"Great. My future holds an eye patch for me," Hiccup said with remorse. The vikings laugh yet again and the dragons let out the bark Hiccup could swear was a laugh.

_**He looks up to see a snapped tree** _  
_**trunk. His eyes follow it to a long trench of up-turned** _  
_**Earth.** _

Gasps are heard in the crowd as they realize what's happening. Hiccup's found the Night Fury.

The Night Fury next to Hiccup let out a remorseful croon that only Hiccup heard. Guilt flooded the said human as he realized he'd kill something that might actually have feelings.

 _That or it has the regular survival instinct of any other dragon._ It was just sad because it couldn't snap at his head, that's why, Hiccup convinced himself.

_**He follows it to a downed, black dragon, its body and tail** _  
_**tangled in a bola. It appears dead. Hiccup approaches,** _  
_**Beaming.** _

Some people in the crowd cheer. Hiccup found it! He was going to kill it now, and they would finally be able to go home and hope this was all really going to happen. Hiccup's eyes widened when he saw the body and his lips twitched in a smile. He ignored the guilt still swelling within him.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(IN SHOCK)**  
**Oh wow. I did it. I did it. This**  
**fixes everything.**  
**(ELATED)**  
**Yes!**

_**He strikes a victory pose, planting his foot on the fallen** _  
_**Night Fury.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**I have brought down this mighty**  
**beast!**

_**It suddenly shifts.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Whoa!**

_**Hiccup springs back, terrified** _

The Night Fury as well as quite a few other dragons bark (now registered as a laugh in Hiccup's mind) at his cowardice. Even tied down a Night Fury could frighten many. Then again, this was the runt of the village. The vikings scowled, but otherwise stayed silent.

_**He turns his blade on it.** _  
_**Rattled, Hiccup creeps along the length of the weak, wounded** _  
_**dragon, dagger poised to strike.** _  
_**As he reaches the head, Hiccup finds the Night Fury staring** _  
_**coldly at him. Hiccup tries to look away, but he's drawn back** _  
_**to its unnerving, unflinching stare.** _  
_**With the dragon safety tangled in the ropes, Hiccup jabs with** _  
_**his dagger, puffing himself up with false bravado.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**I'm going to kill you, Dragon. I'm**  
**gonna cut out your heart and take**  
**it to my father. I'm a Viking.**  
**(BEAT)**  
**I am a VIKING!**

Nobody complains that he'd overdoing it. Rather, they're all holding their breath, anticipating the moment the boy finally proves himself a worthy viking.

Okay, Astrid might have huffed a little, but she accepted defeat graciously (at least she wasn't being compared to the boy).

Clara might have also almost squealed.

_**Hiccup raises the dagger, determined to prove his Viking-** _  
_**ness. The dragon's labored breathing breaks Hiccup's clenched** _  
_**concentration. He opens an eye, uncertainty leaking through.** _  
_**The dragon holds the stare.** _

_**...** _

_**Something profound is exchanged.** _

Hiccup gasps, audibly this time. _There is no way a dragon could-_

_But-_

He turned to the dragon next to him. The Night Fury had its eyes closed, however. Hiccup turned back to the movie, knowing fully well; he wouldn't kill that dragon. He lets out a shaky breath and slumps in his seat.

"What is it, Son?"

"N- nothing," Hiccup stutters. Stoick cocks his head, but turns back to the image, not wanting to miss his son's glorious moments.

_**Finally, the Night Fury closes its eye and lowers its head,** _  
_**resigned to its fate.** _  
_**Hiccup tries to go through with it, holding the dagger** _  
_**aloft... fighting himself... until finally lowering it with a** _  
_**frustrated sigh.** _  
_**He looks over the dragon's chaffed rope wounds.** _

"Hiccup?" Stoick asks.

Gobber turns around in his seat to see the said boy slouching, holding his hair in fists. He looked ashamed, and Gobber hoped it was for lowering the knife, and not for finally taking down the dragon. His fears were confirmed in the next line however.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(muttered, ashamed)**  
**I did this.**

The Night Fury (already having opened its eyes) turns to Hiccup. The boy was muttering to himself "so messed up" and "aw man". The Night Fury understood. Killing a dragon was everything for a viking right?

 _And the human didn't kill me_ , the Night Fury realized.

It might have been a plan though. Humans weren't trustworthy, and although he was a viking, this one seemed smarter than the rest.

_**He turns to leave. Pauses. And glances back at the dragon,** _  
_**chest heaving.** _  
_**Hiccup GRUMBLES. He checks over his shoulder to ensure that** _  
_**no one is watching...** _  
_**then hurries back to cut the ropes.** _

More vikings gasp and the Night Fury starts fidgeting next to Hiccup, bumping the boy from time to time. Hiccup finally looked up to yell at the Night Fury who'd ruined his life, only to see the screen.

 _Come on_ , he thinks. _Haven't the gods had enough?_ Why did he have to be so different?

_**The Night Fury's eye shoots open. With the dragon watching** _  
_**his every move, Hiccup hurriedly saws through the bola ropes.** _  
_**As the last rope falls free, the Night Fury suddenly POUNCES!** _

Despite his anger (Hiccup avoided looking at his father, because the anger was so strong, he could literally feel it. The disappointment was worse) Stoick paled, along with Gobber and very few vikings who'd actually considered the thought of giving Hiccup a chance before (Gothi for example).

_**In a blur, the dragon is upon him, pinning Hiccup down,** _  
_**grazing his neck. Looking like it's about to kill him. Hiccup** _  
_**is paralyzed. The dragon's breath ruffles his hair. Hiccup** _  
_**opens his eyes to find the Night Fury's wolf-like stare** _  
_**boring into him.** _  
_**They exchange is intense, profound.** _  
_**The dragon draws a deep breath, as though it's about to torch** _  
_**him,** _

"Hiccup," Gobber yells before Stoick gets the chance. Hiccup was shaking next to Stoick, but stayed silent.

_**then lets out an ear-piercing scream instead. It turns** _  
_**and takes flight, flapping violently through the canopy of** _  
_**trees. It bashes against a nearby mountain side, recovers,** _  
_**and drops out of view some distance away.** _  
_**Winded, Hiccup struggles to his feet, staggers a few steps,** _  
_**collapses to his knees, and faints.** _

Some vikings manage to give a shaky laugh (other than the nutty twins, who were laughing whole-heartedly) and Stoick let out a shaky breath.

"Hiccup," his voice turned cold. Hiccup almost lets out a sob, but turns to his father, avoiding his eyes. _Eyes eyes eyes. They'll be the death of me._

"Yes Dad?"

"Explain... this!" _Please... One last chance..._

Hiccup stayed quiet, before finally sighing. "I honestly can't explain it," and he couldn't. It seemed beyond words.

The theater burst out in protests and requests to exile Hiccup.

"Shut up!" Clara yelled over the crowd _(presumably using magic to amplify her voice, which still echoed throughout the room ten seconds later)._

"This is the story of how Hiccup becomes a hero," she exclaims, "and you want to exile him?"

"A hero to who," Astrid spits, "Us or them," she pointed at a beautiful light blue Nadder sitting on the row across from her.

"You'll be glad Hiccup did this later," Clara stated, and the movie started before anyone else could retort.

"I knew this was too good to be true," Hiccup heard his father whisper beside him, and slumped farther into his seat. Next to him, the Night Fury was examining him; measuring him up to see what plans the human might have for him (if he had any).

_**INT. STOICK'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS** _

_**Hiccup enters to see...** _  
_**STOICK, seated on a thick slice of tree-trunk. He is slouched** _  
_**over the fire-pit, stirring the coals with his axe. Embers** _  
_**waft around his beard.** _  
_**Hiccup tries to sneak past, up the stairs to his room. Stoick** _  
_**seems none the wiser, when...** _

**STOICK**  
**Hiccup.**

**HICCUP**  
**(CAUGHT)**  
**Dad. Uh...**

"Nice try Useless," Snotlout remarked, going back to his old ways. Hiccup flinched but stayed quiet.

_Why did I do that?_

_**Stoick stands, takes a deep breath.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**I, uh... I have to talk to you,**  
**Dad.**

**STOICK**  
**I need to speak with you too, son.**

_**Hiccup and Stoick STRAIGHTEN at the same moment.** _

"Wow, that seems awkward," said Fishlegs.

"It is," Hiccup found his voice to answer, and flinched when a few vikings turned to glare at him.

**HICCUP STOICK**  
**I've decided I don't want I think it's time you learn**  
**to fight dragons. to fight dragons.**  
**(BEAT)**  
**What? What?**

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**You go first.**

**HICCUP**  
**No, you go first.**

"Idiot," Hiccup slapped his face. Stoick huffed and Gobber would have chuckled had the previous scene not been fresh on his mind. Rather than mad at Hiccup (and he knew they all had every right to be mad) he found himself open minded **(he believes in trolls for gods' sake!)**.

**STOICK**  
**Alright. You get your wish. Dragon**  
**training. You start in the morning.**

Hiccup groaned and a the twins snickered along with Snotlout.

**HICCUP**  
**(SCRAMBLING)**  
**Oh man, I should've gone first. Uh,**  
**'cause I was thinking, you know we**  
**have a surplus of dragon-fighting**  
**Vikings, but do we have enough**  
**bread-making Vikings, or small home repair vikings-**

This time, Gobber did chuckle, and Hiccup let a very small almost invisible small smile reach his face. Maybe there was still a chance with Gobber.

**STOICK**  
**-You'll need this.**

_**Stoick hands Hiccup his axe. Hiccup avoids taking it.** _

**HICCUP**  
**I don't want to fight dragons.**

**STOICK**  
**Come on. Yes, you do.**

"Mm-mm," Hiccup put his fist to his mouth to avoid speaking and shook his head. Nope. Every viking in the room agreed, and so did many of the dragons who didn't doubt Hiccup had truly felt guilty after taking down the Night Fury. The said dragon still doubted though, and stayed silent.

**HICCUP**  
**Rephrase. Dad I can't kill dragons.**

Vikings nod and dragons croon at the one viking they'd ever find who couldn't kill dragons.

**STOICK**  
**But you will kill dragons.**

"No I won't," Hiccup's fist didn't reach his face fast enough. Stoick huffed gruffly, and he crossed his arms shifting in his seat.

"I'll make sure you do," he said quietly. Hiccup stared, before narrowing his eyes in an irritated glare.

"Oh sure I will. Just let me get rid of the damn guilt and I'll get right to heartlessly killing the next frightened creature I shoot down by accident," he spoke, turning to glare at the image. "Face it, Dad. I really am not like you right? I'm not 'that boy'," he quoted his father. Stoick turned to him.

"But you _will_ be that boy! Didn't you say you wanted to be one of us? If you're going to be like us, you're going to have to walk like us, speak like us and most of all, _think_ like us. Enough of this guilt over killing a dragon nonsense."

"Dad-"

"You're my son. The son of the chief of this village. Son of Stoick the Vast! Don't bring shame to our family!"

Clara winced.

**HICCUP**  
**No, I'm really very extra sure that**  
**I won't.**

**STOICK**  
**It's time Hiccup.**

**HICCUP**  
**Can you not hear me?**

"Never," Hiccup answers his future self, deciding to give up the act and letting out his thoughts. He was as good as exiled now, and he was sure he'd be an Outcast by the time the movie ended...

Then again, this was supposed to be about his personal great feat that changed his life for the better, right? _Here's hoping..._

**STOICK**  
**This is serious son!**

_**Stoick forces the axe into Hiccup's hands. Its weight drags** _  
_**him down. He looks up to see Stoick under-lit with firelight.** _

"Can't swing an axe; can't lift a hammer; can't even throw a bola," Mildew said from a corner. "Maybe he deserves exile, Stoick."

Stoick remained silent, pointedly ignoring Mildew. Hiccup took it the wrong way (thinking his father might actually be considering it) and sunk into his chair.

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**When you carry this axe... you**  
**carry all of us with you. Which**  
**means you walk like us. You talk**  
**like us. You think like us.**

Hiccup scoffed, hurt at the words. They had already been said to him once today.

**No more of...**  
**(GESTURING NON-**  
**specifically at Hiccup)**  
**... this.**

**HICCUP**  
**You just gestured to all of me.**

The Vikings realized with a sudden guilt that Hiccup was gestured to a lot. They'd seen Gobber do it, sure, but he joked around. Hiccup looked irritated, but that boy never smiled anyway. It was now that they could see how hurt Hiccup must really be whenever that comment was said seriously.

**STOICK**  
**Deal?**

**HICCUP**  
**This conversation is feeling very**  
**one-sided.**

_And it is_ , many Vikings agreed. But Hiccup has to learn how to kill dragons. It didn't matter if the village saw him as a screw-up. He was, but he had never proven himself. All he ever did was come up with new things to continue to... What had Hiccup's purpose been when he made those weapons? Many villagers wondered, never having thought about it before. It was a nuisance, period.

Hiccup scowled slightly in a sense of deja vu. He'd had a one-sided conversation so many times before. Why had he even tried to change that with this one?

**STOICK**  
**DEAL?!**

_**Hiccup glances at the axe in his hands. It's a no-win** _  
_**argument.** _

**HICCUP**  
**(RESIGNED)**  
**Deal.**

_**Satisfied, Stoick grabs his helmet and duffel bag... and** _  
_**heads for the door.** _

**STOICK**  
**Good. Train hard. I'll be back.**  
**Probably.**

**HICCUP**  
**And I'll be here. Maybe.**

_**Stoick heads out the door, leaving Hiccup holding the axe.** _

It was more probable that Stoick came back from the trip than Hiccup surviving dragon training. At least that's what Hiccup thought. Nobody else had seemed to catch the hint Hiccup had thrown.

Nobody except the Night Fury, that is. It was all too clear that this boy and him were opposites. The Night Fury was awesome, in a word. Greatly admired by other dragons, and invincible in many circumstances. Hiccup was a runt and a screw-up, hated by his tribe. He would never be able to win in a fight.

They were also quite alike. Left alone with only themselves as company. It was clear that the boy had just as many friends as the Night Fury did (though to be honest, the Night Fury hadn't seen that friend in a few years).

The scene changed and the crowd was left with the tense atmosphere. Stoick most of all could feel it. After all, he'd just witnessed what most conversations with Hiccup went like. Also; Hiccup was joining dragon training!? What had he been thinking?! He already knew. It had been Gobber's words, but the worry still stuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you ask: No; I do not know who the Night Fury's friend (whom he hasn't seen in years) is. I don't have an OC or anything I just wrote it cuz I wrote it. Period.
> 
> Thanks for the ever-enthusiastic reviews! See ya, I guess...


	4. Always?

_**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY** _

_**Gobber raises a massive iron gate at the entrance of a vast** _  
_**stone arena.** _

"Hey, it's the arena," Tuffnut states the obvious, earning him a punch from Ruffnut. Astrid rolled her eyes, and got back to thinking about the village runt. Hiccup.

He was small. He was weak. He never thought things through. But he tried.

Astrid, unlike the other vikings, knew Hiccup tried. That's what his inventions were for. The first few years, Astrid tried to cheer him on silently, still feeling sorry for the boy she knew couldn't lift a sack of potatoes.

Then it got annoying, and the cheers turned to glares. When had it happened, she didn't know. All she knew was that Hiccup had better get his act together, or there would be trouble.

**GOBBER**  
**Welcome to dragon training!**

_**The recruits file through the gate, and out onto the arena** _  
_**floor. They take it in like gladiators entering the** _  
_**colosseum. The walls are covered in scorched silhouettes of** _  
_**blasted Vikings. It's a grim yet awe-inspiring place.** _

**ASTRID**  
**No turning back.**

**TUFFNUT**  
**I hope I get some serious burns.**

"That's smart," Hiccup stated begrudgingly.

**RUFFNUT**  
**I'm hoping for some mauling, like**  
**on my shoulder or lower back.**

**ASTRID**  
**Yeah, it's only fun if you get a**  
**scar out of it.**

**HICCUP (O.S.)**  
**Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain. Love**  
**It.**

The Night Fury snorted next to Hiccup. Laughing at Hiccup's moment of sarcasm and agreeing with him. Hiccup noticed and turned to the dragon, giving it a slow and hesitant smile. It was small, but it was a smile and the dragon understood it.

Hiccup knew he wasn't dangerous.

And that meant that Hiccup was different. He already knew that of course. It was just nice seeing it in real life. Knowing you had someone to relate to in real life, not just some crazy moving image a witch is showing you.

The Night Fury trusted this boy.

_**The recruits turn to see Hiccup behind them. Groans all** _  
_**around.** _

**TUFFNUT**  
**Oh great. Who let him in?**

Hiccup scoffed. "Because I _so_ wanted to be there."

Tuffnut narrowed his eyes at him but had nothing to say.

**GOBBER**  
**Let's get started! The recruit who**  
**does best will win the honor of**  
**killing his first dragon in front**  
**of the entire village.**

**SNOTLOUT**  
**Hiccup already killed a Night Fury,**  
**so does that disqualify him or...?**

_**The recruits LAUGH and chatter in the background.** _

Hiccup sighed. He took a Night Fury down. He didn't kill it.

The teenagers didn't laugh along with their future selves. It wasn't funny when Hiccup had actually hit a Night Fury.

**TUFFNUT**  
**Can I transfer to the class with**  
**the cool Vikings?**

"One class.," Gobber said.

_**Gobber throws a supportive arm around Hiccup and ushers him** _  
_**along.** _

**GOBBER**  
**(cheery, in confidence)**  
**Don't worry. You're small and**  
**you're weak. That'll make you less**  
**of a target. They'll see you as**  
**sick or insane and go after the**  
**more Viking-like teens instead.**

"Thank you Gobber," Hiccup said, sarcasm and irritation seeping through his voice.

"You're welcome," came Gobber's honest reply.

_**GOBBER sticks him in line with the others and continues on** _  
_**toward five massive reinforced doors. Terrible ROARS and** _  
_**BELLOWS issue from within.** _

The dragons stop their silent watching and growl. Nobody could blame them for wanting to shoot at a Viking for putting others of their kind in cages.

The Vikings turned around, ready to fight; weapons or no weapons; ability to move or not.

"Stop," Clara said in an annoyed tone. "What's with you guys? All you ever do is fight and speak later. Without the speaking part. Why can't you guys be more like Hiccup?"

Most of the Vikings were about to retort, offended that they had been compared to Hiccup. Some of the dragons growled in agreement though.

"Ha! The day they want to be like me will be the day Vikings fly." Clara beamed at this.

The movie kept going.

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**Behind these doors are just a few**  
**of the many species you will learn**  
**to fight.**

_**Fishlegs bounces and giggles with excitement, barely able to** _  
_**contain himself.** _

"Well _he's_ excited," commented a Viking, and Fishlegs' parents grinned at their son's enthusiasm. Their son was savvy, and he'd be great in dragon training. Sure, not Hofferson or Haddock (or rather Stoick) material, but great nonetheless.

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**The Deadly Nadder.**

**FISHLEGS**  
**(under his breath)**  
**Speed eight. Armor sixteen.**

**GOBBER**  
**The Hideous Zippleback.**

**FISHLEGS**  
**Plus eleven stealth. Times two.**

**GOBBER**  
**The Monstrous Nightmare.**

**FISHLEGS**  
**Firepower fifteen.**

"Oh gods," Hiccup slowly slid his hand down his face in irritation.

**GOBBER**  
**The Terrible Terror.**

**FISHLEGS**  
**Attack eight. Venom twelve.**

**GOBBER**  
**CAN YOU STOP THAT?!**

"Thank you," Hiccup muttered, lifting himself up and sitting straight. The Night Fury studied him closely, watching him react to everything.

Hiccup was fascinating. Sarcastic but always serious, nimble but clumsy, smart but never thought things through. It left the dragon speechless (so to speak).

**(BEAT)**  
**And...the Gronckle.**

**FISHLEGS**  
**(quietly; to himself)**  
**Jaw strength, eight.**

"Ugh," Hiccup scowled, but he wasn't as irritated as it seemed. It was more of an irate amusement at Fishlegs' facts. Not caring, annoyed and pretty impressed, all at once.

_**Gobber pulls a lever, raising the cross beam on the last of** _  
_**the doors.** _

**SNOTLOUT**  
**Whoa, wait! Aren't you gonna teach**  
**us first!?**

"Nope. Trust me; Gobber's great at teaching, but most don't like his methods. I don't."

"Yet you still love me," grinned Gobber.

"I still don't like your 'learning on the job' method. I still have that scar on my shin!"

"Be glad that was it," Gobber turned to the movie, still showing a wide smile.

Hiccup's mouth twitched, wanting to smile despite his irritation.

Meanwhile, the teens heard the conversation in mild terror. "Learning on the job"?

**GOBBER**  
**I believe in learning on the job.**

_**BAM! A GRONCKLE thunders out of its cave, charging into the** _  
_**ring like an irate rhino.** _

_**The recruits scramble in every direction. Except for Ruffnut** _  
_**and Tuffnut who rush toward it, like pumped-up rodeo clowns.** _

"Idiots." Hiccup leaned closer to the Night Fury, seemingly whispering to it. To be honest, he hadn''t noticed, but the dragon had. It'd almost growled too, until he realized Hiccup was only speaking. No punches, no touching, no threats. Just a comment directed toward him. Speaking to him as if he was also a person, not just a dragon his father wanted to get rid of every day.

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**Today is about survival. If you get**  
**blasted, you're dead. Quick, what's**  
**the first thing you're going to**  
**need?**

**HICCUP**  
**A doctor?**

"Ha," Gobber gave a single laugh and other Vikings gave a small chuckle. If they didn't still end up calling him Hiccup the Useless, they'd have to call him Hiccup the Forever-Sarcastic.

**FISHLEGS**  
**Plus five speed?**

Fishlegs' parents gave a small smile, not sure whether to reproach their son's dragon manual obsession or not.

**ASTRID**  
**A shield.**

At this, the Hoffersons smiled proudly. Snotlout even clapped his hands, not ashamed at all that he was the only one.

Some of the dragons took mental notes. If they knew how humans took them down, they could try to use that knowledge to their advantage.

**GOBBER**  
**Shields. Go.**

_**The recruits scramble for shields, finding them scattered** _  
_**around the ring.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**Your most important piece of**  
**equipment is your shield. If you**  
**must make a choice between a sword**  
**or a shield, take the shield.**

_**Hiccup STRUGGLES to lift his. Gobber helps him and sends him** _  
_**Running.** _

"Weak," coughed Snotlout, earning a grin from the twins.

Stoick looked reproachfully at the screen. He was mad at Hiccup, yes, but never let it be said that he didn't worry for his son's safety.

_**Ruff and Tuff stand amidst a dozen shields. But only one has** _  
_**a skull painted on it. They both grab it.** _

**TUFFNUT**  
**Get your hands off my shield!**

**RUFFNUT**  
**There are like a million shields!**

**TUFFNUT**  
**Take that one, it has a flower on**  
**it. Girls like flowers.**

_**Ruffnut uses the shield to BASH Tuffnut in the face. He** _  
_**doesn't let go.** _

**RUFFNUT**  
**Oops, now this one has blood on**  
**It.**

Their parents shake their heads, ashamed. They were the only twins in the village, so they were lucky to have an excuse for why they acted like this. Twins were rare, after all, so it wasn't hard to lie and say that all twins were like this. That was probably the top reason as to why they weren't at Hiccup level.

_**The Gronckle takes aim at the distracted twins. Blam! The** _  
_**shield is blasted out of both of their hands. Tuff and Ruff** _  
_**SPIN like tops and go down.** _

Some kids in the audience and other dragons laugh at the image.

**GOBBER**  
**Tuffnut, Ruffnut, you're out!**

**TUFFNUT**  
**(DAZED)**  
**What?!**

**RUFFNUT**  
**(CONFUSED)**  
**What?!**

_**The Gronckle scoops up a pile of rocks and SWALLOWS them** _  
_**back. The teens gather on the far side of the ring.** _

"Nice," Hiccup raised a brow in slight humor, slight reproach, "Give the dragon that could kill us all ammo." The Night Fury agreed with the statement, but didn't say (growl) anything. There wasn't a way in the world that would make him take a Viking's side over a dragon's, no matter how nice the human was. **(That statement would later be proved wrong during a certain final exam).**

**GOBBER**  
**Those shields are good for another**  
**thing. Noise. Make lots of it to**  
**throw off a dragon's aim.**

_**The kids scoop up weapons and begin hammering on their** _  
_**shields. The Gronckle shakes its head at the clatter.** _

Stoick is relieved to see that Hiccup is at least participating, but turns his attention to the dragon's point of view, curious as to what a dragons view would be like. He enjoyed watching the confused creature, because it assured him that it was too dizzy to attack his tribe (especially Hiccup).

**GRONCKLE'S POV - the teens targets become blurry and**  
**scrambled. It's working.**

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**All dragons have a limited number**  
**of shots. How many does a Gronckle**  
**have?**

**SNOTLOUT**  
**Five!**

"No, six," Fishlegs yells in the excitement, only to have his statement be repeated by his image.

**FISHLEGS**  
**No, six.**

**GOBBER**  
**Correct, six. That's one for each**  
**of you!**

**FISHLEGS**  
**I really don't think my parents-**  
**WOULD-**

_**BAM! Fishlegs has his shield blasted away.** _

His parent's wince. No, they didn't like that, but otherwise, the training was fine.

**GOBBER**  
**Fishlegs, out.**

_**Gobber spots Hiccup hiding from the Gronckle's molten slugs.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**Hiccup, get in there!**

_**He tried, but returns to his hiding place as soon as another** _  
_**Blast is shot near him.** _

_**ON ASTRID bouncing on her heels, ready to dodge a blast.** _  
_**Snotlout appears, trying to hit on her.** _

**SNOTLOUT**  
**So anyway I'm moving into my**  
**parents' basement. You should come**  
**by sometime to work out. You look**  
**like you work out-**

Hiccup rolls his eyes. He was way past ever being jealous of Snotlout. It was impossible to imagine Astrid with anyone at all.

Snotlout? _No._

Tuffnut? _Nuh-uh._

Hiccup? _Least of all._

Fishlegs? The most probable if you asked Hiccup, but she seemed like she would be a shield maiden when she grew up.

_**She cartwheels out of the way, allowing a shot to shoot past** _  
_**her and hit Snotlout's shield. He's blasted onto his back.** _

Spitelout glares at the Snotlout at the screen. His son was the best of the best when it came to boys, so why couldn't he beat the only teenage girl in dragon training on Berk?

Snotlout groaned, throwing his head back. He was out before Hiccup!

**GOBBER**  
**Snotlout! You're done!**

_**Astrid ROLLS to a stop beside Hiccup, who stirs awkwardly,** _  
_**trying to look cool.** _

**HICCUP**  
**(VOICE BREAKING)**  
**So, I guess it's just you and me**  
**huh?**

**ASTRID**  
**No. Just you.**

_**Astrid ROLLS away. A split-second later a lava slug knocks** _  
_**Hiccup's shield clear off of his arm. Hiccup is exposed.** _

"Nice try," sneers Snotlout, in hopes of recovering his pride.

"How come _I_ didn't get out," protests Hiccup.

"Small ones get an extra life," replied Gobber. Hiccup threw him an irritated glare.

"More like another chance at death," he muttered, and Stoick heard him. He had to agree.

**GOBBER**  
**One shot left!**

_**Hiccup panics and chases after his shield as it rolls across** _  
_**the ring.** _  
_**The sudden movement sends the Gronckle chasing after him,** _  
_**leaving Astrid in the clear.** _

"Uh, help?" Hiccup asks meekly. He didn't look like he knew a Gronckle was chasing him, and that was bad. Very _very_ bad.

The Night Fury looked at the screen, intent on Hiccup's future. He hated to admit it, but he was worried.

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**(WORRIED)**  
**Hiccup!**

_**The Gronckle drives straight toward Hiccup, pinning him** _  
_**against the wall. It opens its mouth and cocks its tail,** _  
_**ready to fire point-blank.** _

"Uh, _help_ ," this time Hiccup says it louder. Self-preservation was key at the moment, and nothing else mattered to him as he saw the Gronckle's mouth open, preparing a blast.

He didn't hear the Night Fury growl.

He didn't notice his father had stopped breathing.

He didn't hear Gobber's yell for him.

He couldn't see that even Snotlout's eyes had widened and he'd gone stiff (he's his bully, but he's still his cousin too).

_**Gobber lunges in and hooks the Gronckle's mouth at the last** _  
_**second, causing its head to jerk back and fire against the** _  
_**stone wall above Hiccup's head.** _

Hiccup slumps down in his seat, letting out the breath he'd been holding _(looking very much like he had when the Night Fury had left him alive. This time he didn't pass out though)_. The Gronckle that was apparently destined to fail at killing Hiccup let out a small croon. He'd been scared, it was obvious to any dragon. Of course he'd start attacking.

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**(rattled, but masking it)**  
**And that's six!**

_**Gobber wrestles the irate Gronckle back into his pen.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**Go back to bed, ya overgrown**  
**sausage! You'll get another chance,**  
**don't you worry.**

_**Slam! Lock. Gobber turns to the recruits.** _

The same Gronckle growled, and put its head down in a slump. _How humiliating..._

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**Remember... a dragon will always,**  
**(with a stern look to HICCUP)**  
**always go for the kill.**

_**He hoists Hiccup to his feet and walks off. Hiccup looks** _  
_**overhead to see a steaming pit in the solid stone wall.** _

"Wait," Hiccup sat up straighter. He turned to the dragon next to him.

"Then why didn't you?" He and the dragon stared at each other, each trying to figure it out themselves.

Hiccup cocks his head. The Night Fury imitates the action.

Hiccup's eyes widen.

The Vikings looked at the pair. Most in disgust. Others in mild amazement and disgust. The small children, Gothi and Gobber were just amazed.

The movie starts again.

_**EXT. WOODS/HIDDEN COVE - DUSK** _

_**HICCUP, battered after another disastrous day in the ring. He** _  
_**studies the remnants of the discarded bola... revealing that** _  
_**he's back at the scene of the crime.** _

**HICCUP**  
**(MUTTERED)**  
**So...why didn't you?**

_**He drops the bola and presses on in the direction it flew** _  
_**off. He drops into a rocky crevice and follows it to an...** _  
_**ISOLATED COVE complete with a pristine spring pool. He scans** _  
_**the high stone walls... then notices a single black SCALE on** _  
_**the ground. He crouches and picks it up, studying it.** _

"What are you doing, Hiccup?"

"Figuring it out," Hiccup replies Gobber. Stoick turns to his son. Gobber had joked when calling Hiccup insane, but maybe he'd been right.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Well this was stupid.**

"Yes it was," Stoick scolded, and Hiccup sighed.

Then he yelped when...

_**SUDDENLY, the NIGHT FURY blasts past him. Hiccup recoils,** _  
_**watching the massive beast struggle to climb the walls. It** _  
_**flaps violently, then peels away to a rough landing. The** _  
_**dragon is trapped.** _  
_**Hiccup grins, excited to see it again, and slips closer.** _

"You _are_ insane," Ruffnut said, and it wasn't the type of insane she liked.

"Why so happy?" Gobber questions. "Almost never see you smile that excited unless you finish your little inventions."

Some Viking realized that the boy was actually smiling. They'd never seen _that_ before...

"It's," Hiccup struggled to find the words, "Awesome. I might be the first Viking to ever have seen a Night Fury twice and survive."

"And think about the information you could get about it for the Dragon Manual," Fishlegs beamed, just as excited.

"You're both insane," Astrid voiced the crowd's thoughts.

 _So I'm just a little test subject, huh?_ The Night Fury is not amused.

**_He watches as the dragon, exhausted and frustrated, leaps_ **  
**_into the air, beating its wings furiously. Again and again,_ **  
**_it rolls uncontrolled and CRASHES heavily._ **

"Besides," Hiccup whispers quietly to himself, "you're pretty interesting period." Not to himself, to the Night Fury. To him.

_**As if remembering to snap a photo, Hiccup pulls a leather-** _  
_**bound book and flips past drawings of weapons to a blank** _  
_**page. He sketches the dragon quickly, desperate to record the** _  
_**image.** _

"You can draw?" Fishlegs questions.

"How else would I plan out my invention," Hiccup replied, and turned back to the movie, leaving the crowd stunned. Hiccup actually planned out his little schemes? He wasn't just getting really lucky when making weapons?

"I'm serious," he continued to speak to the Night Fury, quietly, so nobody would hear him (not noticing they were still stuck in their own thoughts).

"Small body; wing span is enormous; Black round scales. Great speed even on ground. Not good at climbing though," He looks at the screen in thought.

The Night Fury can't help but feel flattered. Not even he had ever thought of himself in such a way.

"But, why don't you just fly?"

_**The Fury claws at the steep rock walls, trying climb out of** _  
_**the cove. It SLIPS and falls hard, crushing several saplings.** _  
_**The Fury rolls back to his feet and slowly crawls to the** _  
_**water's edge. He spots fish in the shallow water and snaps at** _  
_**them... but comes up empty. He lowers his head, looking** _  
_**Weakened.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(MUTTERED)**  
**Why don't you just...fly away?**

"Wait... Your tail..." He hated when his drawings came out inaccurate.

_**ON HICCUP as he spots the problem. He adjusts his drawing,** _  
_**carefully erasing one half of the dragon's tail.** _

The Night Fury stares at the screen in horror. His precious tail. I _t was... Half of the... The left..._

 _Great... Now_ I'm _useless_ , the dragon sunk, ignoring the pitying glances some dragons gave him.

_**He accidentally drops the charcoal stick. It rolls off of the** _  
_**rock outcropping that hides him from view and bounces into** _  
_**the cove. TINK. TINK. TINK.** _

Hiccup gasps. He trusted the dragon that couldn't attack him in real life. He didn't trust the one that could kill him in three seconds as much (even if it was in the movie).

_**The Night Fury raises his head, spotting Hiccup. They** _  
_**exchange a profound, unflinching stare.** _

The scene started to change, and Hiccup couldn't help getting lost in wonder. Those eyes were so human. The expression was so unclear, yet clear at the same time. He wasn't supposed to understand the Night Fury, or exchange meaningful stares with it. The other Vikings hadn't even noticed why Hiccup was so attracted to the creature.

So why did _he_?

And why _didn't_ he _not_ like it?


	5. Start of Confusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm bored, so I might as well do this. I'm kind of editing all the chapters at random now, but I think only two more are left to edit. You may have noticed that I sort out the chapter differently than other writers do. That's because I'm keeping a sort of 'moral' per chapter thingamabob thing. The first one was life for Hiccup before Toothless. Second one didn't have a moral, so I just said it was morning. Third one was about something fourth one yadda yadda.
> 
> Anyway: I love you guyz. I know you're just being nice, but I'll make myself believe that you like my style.
> 
> If you guyz don't like something, please point it out. But make it valid, like what you think Hiccup should be feeling, or another character I'm working on at the moment. I won't answer things like 'OMG Stop inserting your one-shot tid-bits'. But if what you're thinking about changes the plot line too much, I'll have to disqualify it.

**_DISSOLVE TO:_ **

**_INT. GREAT HALL - NIGHT_ **

**_A storm is brewing outside. The great doors rattle on their_ **  
**_hinges._ **

**GOBBER (O.S.)**  
**Alright. Where did Astrid go wrong**  
**in the ring today?**

**_The recruits are seated at a table, eating dinner by the glow_ **  
**_of the fire pit._ **

**ASTRID**  
**I mistimed my summersault dive. It**  
**was sloppy. It threw off my**  
**reverse tumble.**

**_Eye rolls from the group._ **

**RUFFNUT**  
**(SARCASTIC)**  
**Yeah. We noticed.**

**SNOTLOUT**  
**(grabbing Astrid's hand)**  
**No, no, you were great. That was**  
**so 'Astrid'.**

_Kiss up,_ Hiccup rolled his eyes. It was unbelievable that this guy was his childhood bully. Even more unbelievable was the fact that he'd grown up and it still hadn't changed.

**GOBBER**  
**She's right, you have to be tough**  
**on yourselves.**

_**CREAK. All eyes turn to Hiccup, entering the hall,** _  
_**sheepishly. Gobber glares at him.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**(glaring at Hiccup)**  
**Where did Hiccup go wrong?**

"I showed up," Hiccup says humorlessly. He wished a hole would just come out of the ground and swallow him whole. There wasn't a single person in the room that was his friend. Even Gobber'd been disappointed in him.

More like worried. Gobber was still mad at Hiccup for having almost gotten himself killed, forcing him to give the boy special treatment.

_**He tries to take a seat at the table...** _

**RUFFNUT**  
**He showed up.**

Hiccup raised a brow, not sure what to think of her joke comparing it to his own humorless resentment. They were both true, he admitted in the end.

The Night Fury couldn't spare the sorry glance it would have given Hiccup this time. He didn't hate the boy. It had been an act that would have been forced on him anyway. Besides, this was destiny.

But now the dragon would never get to feel the wind in its scales ever again.

Never see the sight of the islands from the sky.

Never touch the wet clouds. It was heartbreaking, to say the least. The only thing Night Fury had ever had was destined to be taken away.

**TUFFNUT**  
**He didn't get eaten.**

_**... but the recruits keep closing the gaps. Rolling his eyes,** _  
_**Hiccup sits at the vacant table next to them.** _

Hiccup rolls his eyes along with the image. He had absolutely no friends in that room. He was completely alone...

**ASTRID**  
**He's never where he should be.**

"In that," said Hiccup, "you are right." Astrid turned to him in confusion, but Hiccup gave no other response, instead lost in his own thoughts.

"You were in the correct spot when you shot down the Night Fury," she said. A look of recognition passes Hiccup's face as he realizes, he had been.

He ignored the comments from Snotlout stating that he still hadn't killed the dragon even if he had shot it down.

**GOBBER**  
**Thank you, Astrid.**

_**Gobber stands.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**You need to live and breathe this**  
**Stuff.**

_**Gobber lays a giant book in the center of the table.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**The dragon manual. Everything we**  
**know about every dragon we know of.**

_**A RUMBLE of thunder shakes the hall. Rain pours down outside.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**No attacks tonight. Study up.**

Tuffnut's face visibly falls at the word "study".

"Ooh! I've read that book like seven times! There's this dragon that-"

"Yeah, no. Don't care," Ruffnut held up a hand. She was just as excited about reading that book as her brother.

_**Gobber EXITS into the storm, leaving the teens staring at the** _  
_**book.** _

**TUFFNUT**  
**(you've got to be kidding)**  
**Wait, you mean read?**

**RUFFNUT**  
**While we're still alive?**

Hiccup chuckled. "Nah, you could do it after that." He tried holding his breath when the the twins agreed but ended up choking on his own laughter.

He received strange looks as the movie started again, but Hiccup didn't mind as much anymore. It was weird, but the twins were actually lifting his spirits.

**SNOTLOUT**  
**Why read words when you can just**  
**kill the stuff the words tell you**  
**stuff about?**

"Oh I don't know 'Lout," Hiccup replied to his cousin (in a quite informal way), "Maybe you want to try and avoid a Nadder's tail and instead stand between her eyes in an attack," he suggested, confusing Snotlout.

"Or I could just kill it," he defended. Gobber and Astrid rolled their eyes.

Hiccup scoffed. "Can you believe it, he thinks it's that easy to take down a dragon," he whispered, leaning close to the Night Fury. The dragon turned to him a stared, not amused.

"Oh," Hiccup said, a bit flustered, "right..."

**FISHLEGS**  
**Oh! I've read it like, seven times.**  
**There's this water dragon that**  
**sprays boiling water at your face.**  
**And there's this other one that**  
**buries itself for like a week...**

_**The teens stare as Fishlegs goes on too long.** _

All of the teenagers (not Fishlegs), including Hiccup and Gobber, groan.

**TUFFNUT**  
**Yeah, that sounds great. There was**  
**a chance I was going to read**  
**That...**

"Yeah right," Hiccup scoffs.

**RUFFNUT**  
**...but now...**

_**Snotlout gets up to go.** _

**SNOTLOUT**  
**You guys read, I'll go kill stuff.**

_**The others follow, with Fishlegs in tow.** _

**FISHLEGS**  
**Oh and there's this other one that**  
**has these spines that look like**  
**Trees...**

_**Astrid is the last to go.** _

**HICCUP**  
**So I guess we'll share-**

**ASTRID**  
**Read it.**

_**She pushes it toward him and leaves.** _

"Rude," Hiccup mumbles to himself, feeling his face heat up. Snotlout was already snickering, and Hiccup really wanted to punch him. But self-preservation always won out Hiccup's desires, and this was no different.

**HICCUP**  
**All mine then. Wow, so okay. I'll**  
**SEE YOU-**

_**Slam.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Tomorrow.**

The real Hiccup sighs along with the one on the screen.

Stoick looks at his son, and back to the screen, not sure what to think. Hiccup was a screw-up; the village really didn't respect him, and would even risk their lives to not spend time with the boy. But were they always so...obvious? It sure didn't seem like it was anything new to Hiccup.

_How long has this been going on?_

_**SIGH.** _

_**DISSOLVE TO:** _

_**INT. GREAT HALL - LATE NIGHT** _

_**ON HICCUP'S HAND** _  
_**OPENING the massive book. Thunder BOOMS outside. The hall is** _  
_**vacant and dark, but for the few candles he's pulled** _  
_**Together.** _

_At least I'm dry now_ , Hiccup thinks.

**(Dear Reader: I can't be sure on these next few paragraphs. These are more of my own twist; ideas I got while writing one-shots. I have no idea if Vikings kept curfews or anything like that. Ignore the paragraphs in parenthesis if you don't care for my ideas)**

("Why would you go read in the middle of the night? Don't you have a curfew or something," Snotlout huffed. He still had a curfew, and would even when he moved to the basement.

"Of course not," Hiccup declared (not as proudly as he should have felt), "I haven't had a curfew since I was nine."

Snotlout glares at him.

"Why the Hel would your father let you out so late! You're a danger!"

"Snotlout," Stoick's voice rises.

Snotlout stopped glaring and turned a respectful face to the chief. "Yes sir?"

"Hiccup has had permission to come home at whatever time he wants since he was nine years old, but I assure you; he causes no harm in the woods."

"Woods?" Fishlegs asked, suddenly interested.

Hiccup pales, almost afraid of the attention. _Why are they talking about me all of a sudden?_

"What do you do in the woods?"

Hiccup looked up, still bewildered by the sudden attention.

"Uh...um. Well, I kind of stopped going. I go to my house at an appropriate time now, so I kind of...keep my own curfew, I guess," he reached to the back of his neck and messed with the strands of hair nervously.

"Uh, can we get back to the movie," Tuffnut asked, not as interested in Hiccup's life as Fishlegs was. Clara started the movie before Fishlegs could ask what Hiccup used to do in the woods.)

_**Hiccup pours through page after page of strange and** _  
_**frightening dragons.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
**Dragon classifications. Strike**  
**class. Fear class. Mystery class.**

_**Hiccup turns the page.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**Thunderdrum. This reclusive dragon**  
**inhabits sea caves and dark tide**  
**pools.**

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**When startled, the Thunderdrum**  
**produces a concussive sound that**  
**can kill a man at close range.**  
**Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight.**

_**Hiccup's eyes drift to a lurid illustration of decapitated** _  
_**Vikings. Another page, another dragon.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**Timberjack. This gigantic creature**  
**has razor sharp wings that can**  
**slice through full grown**  
**trees...extremely dangerous. Kill**  
**on sight.**

_**The illustrations seem to take on a life of their own,** _  
_**shifting and squirming in the candlelight.** _

"Whoa," Tuffnut said, "Now _this_ is interesting."

"Yeah. Do all books do that," Ruffnut pointed at the screen, facing Hiccup.

"Yeah, sure," he joked, but Ruffnut took it seriously, and the twins started to rethink their decision to not read for the rest of their lives.

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**Scauldron. Sprays scalding water at**  
**its victim. Extremely dangerous.**

_**The storm outside rages against the shuttered windows.** _

"Ahh!" Fishlegs jumps in his seat, as do other vikings, imitating the Hiccup on the screen.

_**Hiccup is startled, but presses on.** _

Some (only the more cowardly ones) Vikings realize they would have left already, unlike Hiccup.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Changewing. Even newly hatched**  
**dragons can spray acid. Kill on**  
**Sight.**

_**He begins flipping through the pages. A blur of dragons...** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Gronckle. Zippleback. The Skrill.**  
**Bone Knapper. Whispering Death.**  
**Burns its victims. Buries its**  
**victims. Chokes its victims. Turns**  
**its victims inside-out.**  
**Extremely dangerous. Extremely**  
**dangerous. Kill on sight. Kill on**  
**sight. Kill on sight...**

_**Hiccup finally lands upon the page he's been looking for.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**Night Fury.**

_**It's BLANK - no image, save for a few, sparse details.** _

" _Seriously_ ," Hiccup says. "I'm the first person to have any record of a Night Fury," he says proudly.

"Hiccup could be right," Fishlegs gasps. "We could take records and study the Night Fury, so we won't be surprised by Night Furies anymore!"

The boys agreed on not killing the dragon. But Hiccup wasn't as fond of the idea of studying the dragon next to him.

 _I'm the only Night Fury around these parts_ , the said dragon thought. _It's useless to study me._

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Speed unknown. Size unknown. The**  
**unholy offspring of lightning and**  
**death itself**

_Lightning and death? I can barely take a storm; the thunder messes with my hearing, and seriously...death?_

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Never engage this dragon. Your only**  
**chance, hide and pray it does not**  
**find you.**

_Well that's nice_ , the Night Fury thought. _Now I know why they haven't attacked me before with their little catapults._ Then again, he always made sure to stay out of range.

_**Hiccup pulls his sketchbook out of his vest and opens it to** _  
_**his drawing of the Night Fury. He lays it over the book's blank** _  
_**page and considers it.** _  
_**CLOSE ON the drawing of the Night Fury...** _

"And of course, you would completely ignore the book. Why can't ye just obey directions, Hiccup?" Gobber questioned.

Hiccup shrugged and looked back to the screen, anxious to see what happened next.

**MATCH CUT TO:**

**EXT. HIGH SEAS - DAWN**

**A painted DRAGON, with a sword run through it. It's the**  
**billowing sail of Stoick's ship.**  
**Stoick hovers over the familiar nautical map - his eyes on**  
**the uncharted corner, swirling in mist and illustrations of**  
**dragons.**

**STOICK**  
**I can almost smell them. They're**  
**close. Steady.**

"What does a dragon smell like?" Gobber asked.

"Stronger than half a dragon," Stoick answered in a serious tone. Gobber scratched his head, confused by the (familiar) phrase.

_**Stoick raises his gaze to...** _  
_**AN EPIC FOG BANK, towering from sky to sea like a bruised,** _  
_**daunting curtain, beyond which nothing is visible. The three** _  
_**ships drift alongside it, skirting its solid edge, looking** _  
_**for an opening.** _

"Whoa," Hiccup stares at the ominous environment. "Are you going in _there_ ," he asked in child-like wonder. Even after all the fights, he still thought his dad to be awesome.

"Yes," Stoick smiled, but Hiccup was still staring at the fog.

_**ON DECK the crewmen mill nervously, all too aware of what** _  
_**Stoick is considering.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**Take us in.**

_**The helmsman steers Stoick's ship into the fog. The men draw** _  
_**their weapons, prepping for the worst.** _

**VIKING**  
**Hard to port... for Helheim's gate.**

_**The first ship disappears into the whiteout, followed by the** _  
_**other two.** _  
_**A BEAT** _  
_**Suddenly a flash of light. A silhouette of a dragon. Hollers.** _  
_**Sounds of splitting and shattering wood. Plunges into the** _  
_**water. Another bright flash.** _

"They're still alive though...right?" Fishlegs asked, suddenly wondering why he entered dragon training.

"They are," Hiccup answered in a serious tone (totally unlike Hiccup). _They have to be._

The Vikings stare at Hiccup a while, wondering when Hiccup had gained a new face that wasn't annoyed, sarcastic, a smirk or disappointment.

_**MATCH CUT TO:** _

_**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - RING - DAY** _

_**CLOSE ON a DRAGON painted onto a shield. Hiccup runs his** _  
_**finger over its outline.** _

**HICCUP**  
**You know, I just happened to notice**  
**the book had nothing on Night**  
**Furies. Is there another book? Or a**  
**sequel? Maybe a little Night Fury**  
**pamphlet?**

_**KABLAM! A blast takes the axe head off of Hiccup's hilt,** _  
_**leaving a smoking hole behind him. Hiccup YELPS and RUNS.** _

"During dragon training?" Astrid questions Hiccup, calmly outraged.

"Sorry?"

"You better stay out of my way," she turned back to the screen.

"And ours," Snotlout gestured to himself, the twins and Fishlegs. Hiccup gulped.

**GOBBER (O.S.)**  
**FOCUS Hiccup! You're not even**  
**Trying.**

_**CUT BACK to reveal a Deadly Nadder, loose in a maze-like** _  
_**arrangement of moveable walls. Gobber calls orders from** _  
_**above.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**Today... is all about attack.**

"Gobber, I'm going to have to do something about your teaching methods," Stoick said, disapproving of all potential danger towards Hiccup- the teenagers.

_**The Nadder hops from wall to wall, sending the recruits** _  
_**scurrying.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**Nadders are quick and light on**  
**their feet. Your job is to be**  
**quicker and lighter.**

_**The teens move in, stumbling over Hiccup and his unwieldy** _  
_**shield. The Nadder spots Fishlegs' ample rear hiding behind a** _  
_**wall. It whips its tail of spikes. Fishlegs SCREAMS and lifts** _  
_**an entire wall to shield himself from the spray.** _

**FISHLEGS**  
**I'm really beginning to question**  
**your teaching methods.**

"Just now?" Hiccup asked.

**GOBBER**  
**Look for its blind spot. Every**  
**dragon has one. Find it, hide in**  
**it, and strike.**

_**Ruff and Tuff rush in, diving and rolling up to the Nadder's** _  
_**nose. The Nadder sniffs the air - it can't see them. Tuff** _  
_**and Ruff are smashed together - too close for comfort.** _

**RUFFNUT**  
**(WHISPERED)**  
**Do you ever bathe?**

"Nah."

**TUFFNUT**  
**If you don't like it, then just get**  
**your own blind spot.**

**RUFFNUT**  
**How about I give you one!**

_**Ruff and Tuff SHOVE each other, till their movement and noise** _  
_**gives them away. The Nadder ATTACKS, SNAPPING at both of** _  
_**them.** _

**GOBBER**  
**Blind spot? Yes. Deaf spot? Not so**  
**Much.**

Gobber chuckles along with his screen self, enjoying the sight of the teenagers scurrying around for cover.

_**Hiccup wanders up to Gobber, while the others dart past.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Hey, so how would one sneak up on a**  
**Night Fury?**

"Gods, Hiccup! Why can't ye ask this after class?" Gobber asks.

Even Hiccup was having a hard time believing he was stupid enough to not wait till after class.

**GOBBER**  
**None one's ever met one and lived**  
**to tell the tale. Now get in there.**

" _Ahem_ ," Hiccup pretends to clear his throat.

"Ah, shut up ye fishbone," Gobber shakes him off and Hiccup smirks in satisfaction.

**HICCUP**  
**I know, I know, but**  
**hypothetically...**

**ASTRID**  
**(WHISPERED)**  
**Hiccup!**

_**She puts her finger to her lips and gestures for him to hide.** _  
_**A moment later, the Nadder leaps over the walls, surprising** _  
_**them by landing in front of her.** _  
_**Astrid somersaults into its blind spot, confusing it. She** _  
_**rears back to strike - just as Snotlout LEAPS IN,** _  
_**protectively SWEEPING Astrid behind him.** _

**SNOTLOUT**  
**Watch out babe. I'll take care of**  
**this.**

**ASTRID**  
**Hey!**

**Snotlout MISSES. Astrid glares at him.**

"Idiot," Hiccup face-palms. Even he wasn't stupid enough to do that. Astrid was more dangerous than any dragon **(though he didn't quite know it at this point, later in his life he'd discover that the statement was actually true for the most part)**.

Astrid glares at Snotlout, who has no excuse at the moment, unlike his image in the movie.

**SNOTLOUT**  
**(DEFENSIVE)**  
**The sun was in my eyes, Astrid.**  
**What do you want me to do, block**  
**out the sun? I could do that, but I**  
**don't have time right now!**

_**The Nadder tears off after her, knocking down walls in** _  
_**pursuit. She leaps and dives like a highly trained gymnast.** _  
_**Hiccup wanders up to Gobber again.** _

**HICCUP**  
**They probably take the daytime off.**  
**You know, like a cat. Has anyone**  
**ever seen one napping?**

_A cat?_ The Night Fury groans, questioning how the Hel he looked like a cat.

"Napping?" Gobber asked.

**GOBBER**  
**Hiccup!**

**ASTRID**  
**-Hiccup!**

_**Hiccup spins around to see the maze walls collapsing like** _  
_**dominos...toward him. Astrid comes flying through the dust and** _  
_**crash-lands on top of him, laying him out in a limb-tangled** _  
_**Mess.** _

Hiccup winces. That looked like it hurt.

**TUFFNUT**  
**Oooh! Love on the battlefield!**

**RUFFNUT**  
**She could do better.**

Hiccup almost laughed, had that not been an insult to him.

_**The Nadder closes in, emerging through the cloud of dust.** _

**HICCUP**  
**(struggling to untangle)**  
**Just... let me... why don't you...**

_**The Nadder spins around and races back toward them like a** _  
_**Raptor.** _

_**Astrid untangles herself and tries to pull her axe from** _  
_**Hiccup's shield... which is attached to his limp, gangly arm.** _  
_**She PLANTS her foot on his torso and YANKS the axe free,** _  
_**still burrowed into the shield.** _

"Ow!" Hiccup says accusingly.

"Get out of my way," Astrid defended.

"Or maybe you should listen!"

"Well maybe you-"

"Movie," Clara said, and they both shut their mouths _(not by choice)_.

_**She SPINS and SWINGS the axe and shield, scoring a DIRECT HIT** _  
_**on the oncoming Nadder's NOSE. It yelps and scurries off.** _

The real Nadder groans, now knowing what her future holds for her...and her beautiful scales.

**GOBBER**  
**Well done, Astrid.**

_**Gobber hobbles off to wrestle the Nadder back into his cave.** _  
_**Hiccup gets to his feet - all eyes are upon him. He turns to** _  
_**find Astrid glaring at him, winded.** _

**ASTRID**  
**Is this some kind of a joke to you?**  
**Our parents' war is about to become**  
**ours. Figure out which side you're**  
**On.**

_**She grabs her axe and stomps off. Hiccup watches, stung.** _

Hiccup watches the screen. He was sure he was on the Viking's side...but that had been half and hour ago.

A lot could happen in half an hour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do I name this!? I know this is the start of Hiccup's confusion as to who he should support; Vikings or dragons, but I have no idea what to name it!
> 
> Don't worry my dear readers, I shall name it whilst I post the chapter!
> 
> See later, I guess


	6. New Goal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't like cliff-hangers. If I end up leaving you in one, sorry. But I don't care. It's one "moral" per chapter!
> 
> BTW: Sorry for taking long to upload (it's been less than twenty-four hours; you guyz don't deserve an apology) but I just got back home from mass and lunch.
> 
> (Just sayin, Future Me likes cliffhangers juussstt fine)

_**CUT TO:** _

_**EXT. COVE - MAGIC HOUR** _

_**CLOSE ON** _  
_**A fish... being thrown into the cove. It hits the ground and** _  
_**slides. A moment later, Hiccup peeks through a gap in the** _  
_**rock, looking around cautiously. Nothing.** _

"You actually-" Gobber can't find the words. It's amazing anybody had the courage to face a Night Fury once at all. Hiccup had already tried twice, and here he was, coming for thirds.

"Do you have a suicidal wish?" Snotlout almost yells.

 _I may have less than even you_ , Hiccup thinks (Snotlout loved his face too much to sacrifice anything). _Unless you count snowboarding. Snowboarding's awesome._

"It's more like curiosity," he answers, obviously aware of what the movie Hiccup was thinking about.

Stoick watches as his son faces Viking's worst fear. He wasn't feeling proud at all though. He was feeling sheer terror.

_**He tries to enter the cove with the shield at hand, but it** _  
_**Get stuck in the entrance.** _  
_**Hiccup squeezes through and enters the cove. He tries to** _  
_**Dislodge the shield once more, but it won't budge. He** _  
_**Continues walking.** _

"And there goes my only chance at survival," Hiccup jokes, but the joke is taken seriously by his family, the teens and Gobber.

"Maybe someone _should_ take care of you," Spitelout lowers his head into his right hand.

_**A BEAT,** _

The Vikings tense seeing the Night Fury sneaking up on Hiccup.

_**then Hiccup hears a SNORT from behind him.** _  
_**Hiccup turns to see the Night Fury, crouched on a rock like a** _  
_**stealthy panther. It descends, approaching him... ready to** _  
_**Pounce.** _

They all stop breathing. Even the Night Fury isn't sure of what it's thinking. The Night Fury in the movie didn't know Hiccup at all, and was sure to kill the boy; unlike the real life Night Fury, who was much more informed Hiccup's personality etc.

**Hiccup swallows his fear and offers the fish. Doing so**  
**reveals the dagger at his waist. The dragon sees it and**  
**hisses. Hiccup reaches for it, eliciting a growl.**

"Well sorry~" Hiccup say annoyed.

 _'Never can be too careful_ ,' the Night Fury justifies itself, fully aware that Hiccup can't understand him.

_**He pauses carefully lifts it by the handle, and tosses it** _  
_**Away. Still not satisfied, the dragon indicates that he** _  
_**Move it farther away.** _  
_**Hiccup agilely picks the knife up with his foot and** _  
_**Throws it in the pond.** _

**(Again, more tid-bits that belong to my own one-shots. I have no idea how Hiccup got his dagger. Ignore the parenthesis if you don't care for my stories and theories)**

(The real Hiccup slouches, looking depressed for losing his precious dagger. Gobber grumbles to himself, and the Vikings are left confused.

_What was that knife worth to these two to make them react so negatively?_

What they didn't know was that Hiccup was probably more depressed over losing the first weapon he'd ever sketched out and Gobber was just miffed because it had been him who made the sketch come to life for Hiccup's "birthday".)

_**The dragon calms.** _  
_**As it approaches the fish, Hiccup notices that it's missing** _  
_**Teeth.** _

The crowd is left staring at a seemingly harmless dragon, confused.

Hiccup looks over to the dragon beside him, but its mouth is closed, so he isn't allowed to check.

**HICCUP**  
**Huh. Toothless. I could've sworn**  
**you had...**

_**A set of razor sharp teeth emerge from its gums to grab the** _  
_**fish. Toothless snatches and gnashes it up, swallowing it.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**... Teeth.**

"Uh...can you be more careful with me?" Hiccup asked, petrified. He heard the Night Fury chuckle.

"Yeah. Haha. Let's all scare little Hiccup half to death by showing off that you're toothless."

The dragon Laughed a bit louder and Hiccup tried to insult him.

"Why you toothless-"

"Can I start the movie," Clara smiles warmly. They could already insult each other and they hadn't reached that part in the movie yet! She wanted to let them continue, but she also wanted to finish the movie before Zero came to check up on her (and, inevitably, stopping the movie and forcing her to send them back).

"Sure," Hiccup shrugs, "if Toothless here can ever stop laughing."

"Laughing?" Snotlout turns in his seat, disbelieving.

"Duh, laughing. You can't tell me I'm the only one that's noticed the dragons laugh at my every hiccup," Hiccup says.

"Yes, I think we can..."

Hiccup stares at them, almost confused. So, he'd been the only one to notice? Had he been the only one to ever put a human emotion in a dragon's image?

Apparently he had.

_**The teeth retract again.** _  
_**Toothless presses closer with an expectant look. Hiccup** _  
_**retreats nervously.** _

"Why'd you only bring one?" Fishlegs asked.

"Who's going to believe I ate two fish," Hiccup asked. He almost never finished his food to start with (blame Snotlout and daily accidents).

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Uh, no. No, I don't have any more.**

"Personal space?" Hiccup tries, earning him a (chuckle?) from the dragons and a few more from the Vikings.

_**The Fury backs Hiccup against a rock, placing himself the** _  
_**same position as before. The dragon closes in over him,** _  
_**staring blankly.** _  
_**A tense moment passes... then Toothless regurgitates a chunk** _  
_**of fish onto Hiccup's lap. They exchange stares. Hiccup** _  
_**realizes what Toothless wants him to do.** _

"Ugh," Hiccup says, accompanied by the other exclamations of disgust made by the smaller children.

At least Ruff and Tuff seemed to think it was cool...

_**Hiccup crouches slowly and squeamishly picks it up.** _  
_**The dragon waits expectantly.** _  
_**Hiccup gags and gnaws off a bite of the slimy fish.** _  
_**He forces a smile.** _

The trio (Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut) snicker while everyone else (other than the dragons) muse in disgust.

_**Toothless mimics him.** _

And the vikings realize what Hiccup was talking about a few moments ago. Dragons could _imitate_ human emotions.

Okay, so they didn't realize exactly what Hiccup was thinking. But it was closer than before.

Hiccup looks at the screen, amazed..

_**Amazed, Hiccup sits up and tries to touch him. Toothless** _  
_**HISSES and flaps off to a crash on the other side of the** _  
_**cove. He BLASTS the mossy ground to a red-hot temperature...** _  
_**and curls up on it like a giant dog. He spots bird flying off and** _  
_**turns to find Hiccup seated beside him. Toothless** _  
_**tolerates his persistent presence... until Hiccup tries to** _  
_**touch his damaged tail. Toothless SNAPS at him. Hiccup takes** _  
_**the hint and leaves.** _

"Well gee, sorry ," Hiccup raised his hands in the air in mock surrender. Toothless groaned in what might have been amusement, annoyance or both.

_**DISSOLVE TO:** _

_**EXT. COVE - LATER** _

_**It's MAGIC HOUR. Toothless wakes, hanging upside down from a** _  
_**tree. He spots Hiccup sitting on the other side of the cove.** _  
_**Sketching in the sand.** _

"Why are you still there? Never known you for someone who could stay still," Gobber jokes.

"I stay still more often than you think, Gobber." _Kind of..._

_**CLOSE ON a sketch of Toothless. Hiccup draws with a stick,** _  
_**minding his own business. Toothless appears behind him,** _  
_**watching carefully. Aware of his presence, Hiccup continues,** _  
_**trying not to scare him off.** _

Toothless crooned at the portrait. It was pretty good. Maybe he should make a portrait of Hiccup...

_**Toothless walks off. A moment later, he reappears with an** _  
_**entire sapling, drawing lines in the sand. He rushes here and** _  
_**there, making haphazard lines in every direction. At one point** _  
_**He hits Hiccup upside the head, but keeps going.** _

"Ow," Hiccup said in an annoyed voice, but you could hear his amusement in it. The Vikings might have laughed. If only it weren't a dragon Hiccup was joking with.

"You better apologize for that," Hiccup warned. Toothless ignored him.

_**Finally, Toothless drops the tree and inspects his work. He** _  
_**seems pleased.** _  
_**Hiccup stands and takes in the sprawling scribble, amazed by** _  
_**It.** _

"Just for the record, that looks nothing like me," Hiccup said.

 _'What are you talking about, it looks exactly like you'_ , Toothless huffed, offended.

_**He accidentally steps onto one of the lines, eliciting an** _  
_**instant growl from Toothless.** _

_'Hey'_ , Toothless growled.

_**He steps on it again. Toothless growls again.  
** _ _**Hiccup cocked his head, sensing a pattern.** _

The other Vikings also realize a pattern. But how could a dragon be so possessive over a drawing. It seemed too...humane.

Well, some Vikings did. The children just laughed.

_**Realizing how sensitive he is, Hiccup gives Toothless a reassuring** _  
_**smile and steps carefully between each line, turning round and** _  
_**Round** _

"Are you," Fishlegs squints his eyes, as if not believing it, "dancing?"

"It looks like it, huh?" Hiccup responded. "But to te honest, I think Toothless had me trapped in there..."

"Oh- What!?" Fishlegs would have fallen over, had he not been sitting already.

"What?" Hiccup asked, confused by his outburst.

"Did you just name..." He turned to the other Vikings, who were just as shocked. "Did he just name that Night Fury?"

Hiccup's eyes widened as he realized he had. "I guess I did, huh?" He turned to Toothless. "What do you think Toothless? Is the name Toothless suitable for a big tough Night Fury like yourself?"

Toothless shook his head, and Hiccup laughed.

"Hiccup!" Stoick boomed. "Stop speaking to that devil! Do you realize what that thing has done to us?"

"Dad! I-" What could he say? _'Do_ you _realize what that dragon has done for me?'_ Toothless had done so many things, but at this point it was impossible to describe them with words.

Clara smiled sympathetically at Hiccup, but asked, "Can I start the movie now?"

No one said anything and Clara continued the movie.

_**until he unwittingly bumps into Toothless.** _

Gasps.

_**Toothless snorts. Once again, they're face to face. Hiccup** _  
_**tries to touch Toothless once again and Toothless growls.** _  
_**Realizing what he must do, Hiccup slowly extends his hand.** _  
_**Toothless hesitates. Hiccup turns his head away and closes** _  
_**his eyes.** _

More gasps are heard from the audience, realizing Hiccup left himself completely vulnerable in front of the enemy.

"Hiccup," Gobber whispers, astounded by the boy's courage.

Clara on the other hand, was squirming in her seat, giddy that the scene that changed it all was finally playing.

Needless to say, Stoick who was getting angrier by the second had suddenly gotten pale.

_**To his amazement, Toothless bridges the gap and** _  
_**presses his muzzle against Hiccup's hand.** _  
_**In a flash, the dragon is gone, leaving Hiccup astounded**._

And the room is completely silent. Hiccup had trusted a dragon. That was somewhat believable considering the boy was loony.

But even the dragons were amazed that one of the most trustless dragons of all time had actually let a human Viking touch him. The Fury didn't even like other dragons touching him for gods' sake!

Hiccup stared at the screen. He turned to Toothless and cocked his head, knowing Toothless would mimic him.

He smiled, a genuine smile, and hoped the dragon would also imitate him. Toothless did.

He extended his hand. He made sure to keep eye contact with the creature, because they both knew they could trust each other.

And Toothless closed his eyes, bridging the gap just like he'd done in the movie.

Hiccup gasps, and his smile widens.

Stoick stares at his son in disgust. He knew dragons weren't trustworthy. He just knew it. By the end of the movie, Hiccup would've slayed the Night Fury, and everyone will've returned to Berk in hopes that it would really happen. It wasn't possible that Hiccup would befriend it. It just wasn't.

Not his own son...

Hiccup turned around in is seat, suddenly aware that all eyes were upon him. "Wha-what?"

The adults were just staring, but he could see a growing grin on the faces of his three bullies. That was...unexpected.

Fishlegs seemed a bit more hesitant, but he didn't seem as disgusted as the adults.

Astrid, however, was a lost case. She was full on glaring, and Hiccup knew what she was thinking. _'Traitor.'_

Gobber looked too shocked to think.

Suddenly realizing something, Hiccup turns to Stoick. "D-Dad-" he tries.

"Let's just start the movie now guys," Clara interrupts. _I don't want_ that _scene to come early._

Hiccup stayed quiet, but nodded slowly.

_**EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT** _

_**Gobber and the recruits are seated at the top of an abandoned** _  
_**catapult tower, toasting campfire food around a roaring** _  
_**bonfire.** _

**GOBBER**  
**...and with one twist he took my**  
**hand and swallowed it whole. And I**  
**saw the look on his face.**  
**(can't deny it)**  
**I was delicious. He must have**  
**passed the word, because it wasn't**  
**a month before another one of them**  
**took my leg.**

**FISHLEGS**  
**Isn't it weird to think that your**  
**hand was inside a dragon. Like if**  
**your mind was still in control of**  
**it you could have killed the dragon**  
**from the inside by crushing his**  
**heart or something.**

"Fishlegs... That's just..." Hiccup wasn't sure what it was. He didn't seem to be paying much attention in the movie though, so he might as well voice his thoughts in the real world.

"Weird?" Ruffnut tried to finish the sentence.

"Yeah, even for me," Tuffnut pointed at himself. Needless to say, Fishlegs was thoroughly confused and offended, all at once.

**SNOTLOUT**  
**I swear I'm so angry right now.**  
**I'll avenge your beautiful hand and**  
**your beautiful foot. I'll chop off**  
**the legs of every dragon I fight,**  
**with my face.**

**He postures to Astrid. She rolls her eyes.**

The real Astrid also rolls her eyes.

"Your face?" Fishlegs asks him. "And you guys question _my_ sanity?"

"Yeah, but he's Snotlout," Astrid decides to intervene.

"Hey!"

**GOBBER**  
**(with a mouthful)**  
**Un-unh. It's the wings and the**  
**tails you really want. If it can't**  
**fly, it can't get away. A downed**  
**dragon is a dead dragon.**

_**ON HICCUP hiding his horrified look from the others.** _

The real Hiccup isn't as good at hiding his horror, and looks at the Night Fury next to him. The Vikings looked back to him, as if expecting something, but Hiccup did nothing.

Or so they thought.

But Hiccup's mind was already working up any ideas that came to mind to help his friend with this problem.

"A prosthetic tail," he whispered, realization crossing his features. He reached for his journal, only just realizing he'd left it at home on his desk.

Stoick stared at his son, dumbfounded. _A prosthetic tail? He couldn't be- he wouldn't-_

He watched as his son slumped in defeat, not finding anything in his vest pocket. _Hopefully not..._

_**Gobber stands and stretches.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**Alright. I'm off to bed. You should**  
**be too. Tomorrow we get into the**  
**big boys. Slowly but surely making**  
**our way up to the Monstrous**  
**Nightmare.**  
**(playful, taunting)**  
**But who'll win the honor of killing**  
**it?**

Hiccup almost shudders at the thought. How could he have ever thought of killing living thinking feeling creatures as he had before!?

_**He hobbles off. The teens reflect.** _

**TUFFNUT**  
**(very matter of fact)**  
**It's gonna be me.**  
**(BEAT)**  
**It's my destiny. See?**

_**Hiccup gets up and walks away from the group.** _

"Where are you going?" Gobber questions, not having heard Hiccup whispering his plans out loud a while ago.

"Uh," Hiccup wasn't sure about telling Gobber about the all-nighters he took when working on a rushed project. He wasn't too thrilled to tell his dad either.

_**Tuffnut rolls up his sleeve to reveal a red dragon on his** _  
_**Arm.** _

Tuffnut stiffens, realizing his parents are watching this.

"Tuffnut..."

**FISHLEGS**  
**(GASPS)**  
**Your mom let you get a tattoo?**

"I didn't."

Ruffnut would be rolling on the ground laughing, had she not had a spell on her.

**TUFFNUT**  
**It's not a tattoo. It's a**  
**birthmark.**

_**Astrid watches Hiccup as he leaves the bonfire.** _

"Why are you so interested, Astrid?" Hiccup felt his face heat up at Gobber's question.

"I-I doubt she cares, Gobber," he decided to answer for her.

"I don't," she agreed, and they watched as her image shrugged and turned back to the group.

**RUFFNUT**  
**Okay, I've been stuck with you**  
**since birth, and that was never**  
**there before.**

Ruffnut's laughter increases. Tuffnut had some explaining to do.

**TUFFNUT**  
**Yes it was. You've just never seen**  
**me from the left side until now.**

**SNOTLOUT**  
**It wasn't there yesterday. Is it a**  
**birthmark or a today-mark?**

Okay, even Hiccup had to let a laugh out at that one.

_**DISSOLVE TO:** _

_**INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - MOMENTS LATER** _

_**Hiccup enters a small room at the back of the stall. It's** _  
_**covered in drawings of weaponry and scale models.** _

"Where is that?" Astrid asks.

"It's the blacksmith stall," Gobber answers as if it were obvious. "That's the room Hiccup likes to plan and make his inventions at."

"Wait a second. You actually encourage him!?"

"Gods no. He just got tired of the work space I was taking up with my sketches. He also tried throwing them away but I managed," he showed a satisfied (slightly mischievous) smile nobody'd seen before and his hand reached the back of his neck, as if sheepish.

"The Hel he did. He took me damn peg until I told him where I put them."

"Don't touch my stuff Gobber," Hiccup said, absolutely serious, his smile gone.

Gobber shudders at the memories, and Clara can't help but start laughing. The sadistic twins start laughing as well, and Snotlout finds himself chuckling in confusion, along with other Vikings. The dragons are left watching the humans, wondering if they're sane.

"Aha," Clara recovered from her outburst. "I sure love that part of you. You rarely ever show it." _Or, you used to rarely ever show it._ It was hard to think in time-travel.

"The part where I steal people's limbs? Yeah. I try not to-"

"Nonono! I mean the part that's so," she struggled for words. "Hiccup."

"'Hiccup'?" He raised a brow.

"It's not bad! The very opposite, actually. You handled your inventions carefully, because they meant the world for you. You go overboard and end up doing something stupid, crazy or both, just trying to protect something that means the world to you. You even-"

"Ah. Spoilers Clara." A calm voice had appeared out of nowhere, and the crowd turned in confusion.

"Crap," Clara mouthed. _I've been caught._ "Z-Zero! How nice...erm..."

"Dear," a boy with white hair and bronze eyes appeared before her. "I'd like to see how this plays out."

"Y-You're not mad?" She asked, hopeful.

"Oh, I'm not. I can't say much for Sammy..."

"What?"

"Idiot. You agreed to meet her at the-" He cut himself off, and lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Who knew witches actually had lives other than stealing souls and cursing princes, huh," Hiccup said, talking to either Stoick or Toothless.

"Can we start the movie already!" Snotlout (the ever patient one) almost yelled.

"Ahh! So sorry guys! Zero! Could you keep the theater stable while I go face Sammy's wrath. Thanks, you're the best," She pecked him on the lips before disappearing, and Zero was left to keep the building from collapsing.

He grimaced, but sat down on the chair and started the movie again.

_**He lights a candle and lays his sketchbook out on the desk,** _  
_**pening it to the drawing of Toothless.** _  
_**With a look of determination. Hiccup picks up a charcoal** _  
_**stick and re-draws the missing tail.** _

Gobber and some of the smarter Vikings gasp in realization. He was going to redo the tail...

_**DISSOLVE TO:** _

_**INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - LATER** _

_**CLOSE ON** _  
_**... a creaking leather bellows. The stone forge glows with** _  
_**every pump. Tongs pull intricate iron pieces from the coals.** _  
_**They're dropped onto the anvil, twisted, lightly hammered,** _  
_**and dunked in a barrel.** _  
_**The pieces are carried to Hiccup's workbench and laid out in** _  
_**place on a one-to-one schematic. It's a sketch of a** _  
_**mechanical fin.** _

"That's..." Gobber couldn't find the words. Should he be mad because his apprentice was helping the enemy? Should he be proud because the sketch looked so great. It wasn't like they didn't always look great, but then again, he guessed that was the reason he was never too angry with Hiccup's past antics.

Meanwhile, the rest of Berk is surprised to see that Hiccup might be cooler than they thought. They watched as he carefully worked on the rims and weighed everything to perfection as well as worked on the leather. He put so much thought into this invention. He probably had with every other too, only to have a miscalculation and get scorned by the villagers.

They stayed silent, still in awe at Hiccup's determination.

All Hiccup could think was, _well thank Thor nobody's noticed it's night..._

_**EXT. HIDDEN COVE - DAWN** _

**HICCUP**  
**Hey Toothless. I brought breakfast.**

He's sided with the enemy, the remainder of Vikings who hadn't realized it before finally did. He was no longer a Viking.

Hiccup could only wait eagerly, wondering how well the new tail might work for his new friend.

He didn't even question the notion of calling a dragon- no, a _Night Fury!_ \- his friend.

_**Hiccup arrives, winded, straining under the weight of a full** _  
_**basket. He clicks the scale he found (like a jar top).** _  
_**Toothless approaches, sniffing him.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**I hope you're hungry.**

_**Hiccup drops the basket and kicks it over. Fish spill out.** _

"Ew," Hiccup manages to display disgust despite the excitement he felt. Most of the Viking agreed with him, but it was pure bliss for the dragons to hear the _sploosh_ and _shwap_ of fish falling on the ground.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Okay, that's disgusting.**

_**Toothless approaches, settling in to devour the feast.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Uh..we've got some salmon...**

_**Toothless swallows it.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**... some nice Icelandic cod...**

_**Swallows those too.** _

"You're going to choke," Hiccup frowned, surprised he could even eat that much. Then again, Toothless was a dragon.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**... and a whole smoked eel.**

Hiccup shuddered, not noticing many other dragons shudder in disgust just as well.

_**Toothless tenses and backs away from the eel. It** _  
_**Shrieks in terror. Hiccup takes note.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**No, no, no! It's okay.**

_**Hiccup throws the eel off to the side.** _

**Yeah, I don't like eel much either.**

"Yeugh," Hiccup makes a display. Stoick turned to him. _I thought he loved eel..._ **(Yeah. I have no idea about this either. All I know is that Hiccup loves Fishlegs's mom's cooking)**

_**Toothless focuses on the remainder. With the dragon** _  
_**distracted, Hiccup unwraps his prosthetic fin and opens it** _  
_**like a fan.** _

And they all tense up, realizing the moment has come. The moment that would determine whether the Fury would ever fly again or not.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Okay. That's it. That's it, just**  
**stick with good stuff. And don't**  
**you mind me. I'll just be**  
**back...here. Minding my own**  
**Business.**

"Sneaky," snorted Snotlout, still managing to tease in the midst of all...this.

_**Hiccup cautiously approaches the injured tail, but every time** _  
_**he gets near it, Toothless sweeps it away like a cat.** _

"You _are_ a cat," Hiccup looks at Toothless in annoyance. _I knew it_.

Toothless decided to not slap him up-side the head _just this once_. Next time, the human was getting hurt.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**It's okay.**

_**Hiccup drops a knee on top of the tail. Toothless' head juts** _  
_**up, slows its chewing to a halt.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Okay...okay..**

_**The dragon tenses, slowly spreading his wings.** _

"Oh no," Hiccup tenses. Zero smiles amused. This might've been his favorite part of the movie.

_**Hiccup straps the prosthetic fin in place. He cinches the straps.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(PLEASED)**  
**There. Not too bad. It works.**

_**Toothless BOLTS! He snaps his massive wings and takes to the** _  
_**air, carrying Hiccup with him.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Woah! No! No! No!**

_**Hiccup struggles to hold on to the tail. As the ground speeds** _  
_**away, Toothless immediately TIPS into a uncontrolled bank and** _  
_**dive.** _  
_**Hiccup sees the folded fin rattling uselessly in opposition** _  
_**to its flared counterpart. Flap as he may, Toothless can't** _  
_**correct his trajectory.** _

They were going to crash, most realized. They would crash and both of them would end up seriously hurt, Hiccup most of all with his fragile body hanging loosely by the tail of the Fury.

Stoick paled at the thought. _Hiccup would die-_

_**Hiccup swallows his fear and crawls toward the folded** _  
_**prosthetic. He reaches it and YANKS it open. The flared, fan-** _  
_**like appendage catches the air, stabilizing the twisting** _  
_**tail.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(excited, terrified)**  
**It's working!**

_**Toothless arcs just short of the water and climbs... high** _  
_**into the air.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Yes! Yes, I did it.**

"It works," Hiccup smiles. The problem was, he wasn't planning on riding on Toothless's tail forever. No, he'd needed a more comfortable spot.

Toothless stares at the screen, almost offended. He was being ridden like a pony? By a puny (sure he was nice and likable and probably the best human he'd ever met but still) human no less.

_**He glances back at Hiccup, busily holding the tail open while** _  
_**trying to hold on.** _  
_**Whoomp! Hiccup is suddenly thrown from the tail in the** _  
_**intense force of a turn.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**AAAAAGGGGHHHHH!**

_**He bounces across the water's surface and takes a dive.** _  
_**Without Hiccup to operate the tail, Toothless does the same,** _  
_**plunging in a massive cannonball.** _  
_**Hiccup resurfaces, roughed up, but beaming. Toothless appears** _  
_**seconds later.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Yeah!**

"It didn't work," Gobber exclaims in relief. Hiccup tenses and raises a brow.

"What are you talking about. It worked perfectly! It-"

"Cannot work alone. You should give up, Hiccup. Let the beast die on its own."

Hiccup went stiff. The statement offended him more than it should have, and he knew it. He didn't respond back, sure it wasn't normal for a Viking to defend a dragon.

He glared at his lap, and the movie resumed, but not before Stoick heard him mutter, "Not if I can help it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Hiccup gains another goal. You know how before Hiccup was willing to do just about anything to make his father proud? Forget that. Stoick's gone, he knows killing a dragon is off the bucket list and he just gained a new friend!
> 
> (First friend if you don't count Gobber - who I recall was never mentioned as friend in the script. Seriously, Hiccup says he's Gobber's apprentice but the scene between him and Toothless is called Forbidden Friendship. Gobber doesn't count as friend. Just that funny guy who enjoys messing with the main protagonist)
> 
> Past goals are left aside, thank you very much.
> 
> See you, I guess.


	7. Double Identity

_**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - MORNING** _

**GOBBER (O.S.)**  
**Today is about teamwork. Work**  
**together and you might survive.**

_**ON A DOUBLE-WIDE DOOR. Gas seeps through the cracks.** _  
_**It BLASTS OPEN. A cloud of smoke engulfs the ring, swirling** _  
_**around the paired-up teens. Astrid with Ruffnut. Snotlout** _  
_**with Tuffnut. Fishlegs with Hiccup. All carry buckets of** _  
_**water, poised to throw them.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)  
** **Now, a wet dragon head can't light  
** **its fire. The Hideous Zippleback is  
** **extra tricky. One head breathes  
** **gas, the other head lights it. Your  
** **job is to know which is which.**

_**The smoke encircles them, cutting them off from each other.** _  
_**The teens LISTEN and WATCH for any sign of the dragon.** _

**FISHLEGS**  
**(muttering to himself)**  
**Razor sharp, serrated teeth that**  
**inject venom for pre-digestion.**  
**Prefers ambush attack, crushing its**  
**victims in its...**

**HICCUP**  
**(TENSE)**  
**Will you please stop that?**

"It's really not helping," real Hiccup added in the same tone.

"I thought you were being friendly with dragons now," a Viking accused, and Hiccup turned to glare.

He backed out, and some Viking realized they'd actually expected him to be a mellow person, despite the rebellious actions. _Of course he wouldn't be, he's a Viking after all_ , thought Zero.

_**ON SNOTLOUT AND TUFFNUT** _  
_**Moving nervously through the fog, back to back. Snotlout is** _  
_**singing to himself to calm his nerves.** _

**SNOTLOUT**  
**If that dragon shows either of his**  
**faces, I'm gonna-**  
**(spotting an approaching**  
**shape, terrified)**  
**-There!**

_**Snotlout and Tuffnut HURL their water into the fog.** _

Hiccup scoffed, already knowing it couldn't be the doppelganger dragon. Hopefully anyway... He was no Fishlegs after all.

**ASTRID**  
**Hey!**

**RUFFNUT**  
**It's us, idiots.**

_**Astrid and Ruffnut are soaked.** _

**TUFFNUT**  
**Your butts are getting bigger. We**  
**thought you were a dragon.**

**SNOTLOUT**  
**(TO ASTRID)  
** **Not that there's anything wrong  
** **with a dragon-esque figure.**

_**Astrid ELBOWS Snotlout in the face. Ruffnut DROPS Tuffnut** _  
_**with a PUNCH to the throat.** _

Hiccup and Ruffnut let out a laugh, while the older Vikings worry over the future of Berk.

**ASTRID**  
**Wait.**

_**They FREEZE. A tail SWEEPS out of the fog, taking them down.** _  
_**Their buckets spill.** _

The teenagers complain. They weren't even close to taking out that Zippleback!

"And Useless still surpassed me!" Snotlout remarked, earning a scowl from Hiccup. This Useless took down a Night Fury, he wanted to say. _Toothless wouldn't like that though..._

_**ON FISHLEGS AND HICCUP coming across them. They see the** _  
_**puddles of spilled water.** _

**TUFFNUT**  
**Oh, I'm hurt. I am very much hurt.**

Again, laughs from Ruff and Hiccup, joined by Snotlout and some dragons (or at least Hiccup recognized it as a laugh).

**FISHLEGS**  
**Chances of survival are dwindling**  
**into single digits now...**

"That's reassuring," Hiccup said, a habit when he was in a tense situation (such as low chance of survival against a Zippleback situation).

**HICCUP**  
**Look out!**

Some of the Villagers tense, not sure what to think of this. Where was Gobber anyway? This was clearly dangerous and only the two least capable were left. Not that anyone would ever question Fishlegs' strength, but that was honestly his only Viking attribute.

_**A Zippleback head emerges out of the smoke. Fishlegs hurls** _  
_**his water at it, completely dousing the head. It leers and** _  
_**opens its mouth, spewing gas into the area.** _

**FISHLEGS**  
**Oh. Wrong head.**

_**GAS FLOWS around their legs. Fishlegs flees in a panic.** _

**GOBBER**  
**Fishlegs!**

**Beat. A clicking sound comes from behind them. Sparks flash**  
**in the smoke.**

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**Now, Hiccup!**

_**The other head sweeps out of the smoke. Hiccup hurls his** _  
_**water with all his might. It arcs and drops short of the** _  
_**dragon's sparking mouth. The dragon grins, savoring the kill.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Oh, come on!**

"I'm dead." Hiccup states. _Damn, I should've brought the eel with me._

**GOBBER**  
**RUN, HICCUP!**

_**Gobber COVERS his eyes.** _

Yeah, parents (Stoick most of all) were starting to disapprove of some teaching methods... Stoick held his breath, afraid for his son's life (who wouldn't be?).

 **(Ugh. Sorry. 'Nother one-shot tid-bit. Not canon)**  
(Gobber was meanwhile dreading seeing the boy who called him 'Uncle Gobber' before he turned eight get burnt to a crisp. He also hid behind his hand.)

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**Hiccup!**

_**Beat.** _  
_**The Zippleback hesitates. SNIFFS. Then retreats.** _  
_**The teens get to their feet, watching transfixed. Gobber** _  
_**peeks through his fingers to see...** _

_Huh?_ That's one way to describe the crowd's reaction.

_**The Zippleback backing away from Hiccup. He stands and holds** _  
_**his hands out, as if controlling it.** _

Eyes widen. What was Hiccup doing?! Was he conquering it? Would he be the hero of this 'movie' after all?

**HICCUP**  
**BACK! BACK! BACK! Now don't you**  
**make me tell you again!**

Zero scoffed at his tone. _So fake._ The Vikings seemed to have been fooled however. He turned around to look at Hiccup, who was cringing. Even he thinks he sounds fake.

_**The Zippleback retreats through its door and into its cave,** _  
_**hissing.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Yes, that's right. Back into your**  
**Cage.**

_**Hiccup slyly OPENS his vest, revealing the spotted smoked EEL** _  
_**from earlier. He TOSSES it inside the door, then SLAMS it** _  
_**Shut.** _

The dragons growl. That was downright horrible! _Ewewewewewew. Didn't he know the sicknesses those things gave dragons?_

_Probably not, but still._

The Vikings are meanwhile questioning this new method. Many could see it as an easy way out or cheating. Either one was bad to be honest.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Now think about what you've done.**

_**Hiccup turns to the teens and Gobber. They stare, slack-jawed** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Okay! So are we done? Because I've**  
**got some things I need to...**

_**Hiccup jogs out of the ring, past the speechless group.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Yep...see you tomorrow.**

_**Astrid SNEERS. Something's going on.** _

_And she's mad... I am so dead._

"Dude, does Astrid look mad to you?" Tuffnut asks no one in particular. Astrid elbowed him.

_Very dead._

_**EXT. WOODS/COVE - SUNSET** _

_**BEGIN MUSIC MONTAGE** _

_**INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - HICCUP'S CLOSET - CONTINUOUS** _

"Huh. Music," Hiccup muses. This was the second time he's actually noticed it, but he'd been pretty speechless when watching his Forbidden Friendship unfold before his eyes.

_..._

_How the Hel am I going to be the hero of this story?_

_**Hiccup cuts and stitches leather, draws and shapes steel. He** _  
_**works by candlelight. An overhead shot reveals what he's** _  
_**building: a harness, complete with handles and foot pedals.** _

"Maybe he should be a blacksmith," Gobber comments. It was obvious that he couldn't kill dragons, so might as well make the boy do that. It wasn't a bad job (Gobber was the chief's second and one of the best fighters of Berk, even as a Blacksmith) though not as great as a dragon fighter.

Stoick took it under consideration. "Once this whole mess is over with and that Night Fury dies," he says, pretty loudly considering Gobber's in the middle row and he's in the back. Strangely, the front row consisted of only two empty seats, but he didn't dare question a witch or newly arrived wizard(?).

_**EXT. COVE - DAY** _

_**Hiccup appears before Toothless, holding the new prosthetic.** _  
_**Toothless runs off as Hiccup chases him down.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Hey!**

Laughter fills the theater. _A dragon running away from Hiccup of all people?_

The dragon's however recognize it as a game of tag.

And so did Hiccup. "Huh, never played tag before," He whispers to Toothless, and Stoick overhears. "Unless you count Dagur hunting me through the woods as tag." Stoick frowns.

_**EXT. COVE - DAY** _

_**Toothless and Hiccup are zooming over the ocean.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Yeah!**

Their eyes widen.

_**The tail breaks free sending Hiccup flying.** _

**Whoa!**

They laugh.

Only Zero found himself wondering where they landed.

_**INT. BLAKCSMITH STALL - LATER** _

_**Hiccup adjusts the harness and uses a metal clamp to affix** _  
_**himself to Toothless' saddle.** _

_**EXT. SKY/FIELD - DAWN** _

_**Hiccup and Toothless zip through the air - his rudimentary** _  
_**harness and tail controls are working, barely. They crash-** _  
_**land in an open field.** _

_That had to hurt_ , Hiccup winced. He thanked the gods when he saw he was actually quite alright.

"I'm probably used to falling by now," he said dryly. He wasn't sure if that was good or not.

_**Hiccup recovers to find Toothless still rolling around in the** _  
_**tall grass. Hiccup discovers that it's a patch of 'dragon-** _  
_**nip.' Toothless writhes on his back, tongue wagging, in** _  
_**complete bliss.** _

Hiccup laughs.

"Cat," a child yells out, and he laughs harder along with some children. Toothless snorts indignantly.

_**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - MORNING** _

_**Hiccup grabs the head as instructed, then discreetly pulls a** _  
_**fistful of 'dragon-nip' and presses it up to the Gronkle's** _  
_**nose. It immediately stops struggling and goes weak in the** _  
_**knees. Hiccup drops the handful of dragon-nip to the ground.** _  
_**The Gronkle goes down with it, whimpering and blissful.** _  
_**From Gobber and the recruits' point of view, Hiccup is** _  
_**controlling the Gronkle with no more than a limp arm.** _

Again, they find themselves wondering if he should be scolded or not.

Then again, he was Hiccup. He was always doing something that deserved scolding.

_**EXT. WOODS - AFTERNOON** _

_**The recruits walk home together, surrounding Hiccup and** _  
_**BOMBARDING HIM WITH QUESTIONS.** _

**FISHLEGS**  
**Hey Hiccup, I've never seen a**  
**Gronkle to that before.**

**TUFFNUT**  
**How'd you do that?**

**RUFFNUT**  
**It was really cool.**

_**He squirms and invents an excuse.** _

**HICCUP**  
**I left my axe back in the ring.**

_**He turns and hurries back.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**You guys go on ahead and I'll catch**  
**up with you.**

_**Astrid watches, suspicious.** _

The teenagers watch, almost offended by being ditched by Hiccup of all people.

"He didn't come back," Zero added 'helpfully'.

_**EXT. COVE - LATER** _

_**Hiccup rubs Toothless behind the ear, causing him to relax** _  
_**and fall over.** _

"Aww," the children crooned. Hiccup looked at Toothless curiously.

Toothless noticed and responded with a look that meant _'try it and I will hurt you'_. No matter how friendly, his friend was still a dragon, so Hiccup backed away (figuratively. They were seated after all).

_**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - LATER** _

_**An angry Deadly Nadder approaches Hiccup. Just as Astrid** _  
_**moves in to strike, Hiccup performs his special rubbing** _  
_**technique, which sends the Nadder down. Astrid and the other** _  
_**kids look on from the sideline in amazement.** _

_Okay, definitely bad._ It no longer seemed like Hiccup wanted fame and glory (he was obviously running away from those).

He was _protecting_ the dragons.

_**INT. MEADE HALL - CONTINUOUS** _

_**Hiccup sits down at a table to eat. The other recruits notice** _  
_**him and move over to his table to talk to him - leaving** _  
_**Astrid alone.** _

**FISHLEGS**  
**Hey Hiccup!**

**SNOTLOUT**  
**What was that? Some kind of trick?**  
**What did you do?**

**TUFFNUT**  
**Hiccup, you're totally going to**  
**come in first, there's no question.**

Hiccup pales, feeling claustrophobic despite not being surrounded by the teens in the movie.

_**EXT. COVE - LATER** _  
_**Hiccup is using a mirror-like object to create a patch of** _  
_**light on the ground. Toothless claws and chases the light** _  
_**patch like a cat chasing a laser pointer.** _

Toothless stiffens. He'd seen that bright creature before! He didn't question what Hiccup was doing with the hammer, ignoring it and hoping his movie-self would finally catch that damned thing.

Hiccup chuckles next to him and Toothless turns to him in confusion.

_**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY** _

_**A beam lifts from the door of another dragon pen.** _

**GOBBER**  
**Meet the Terrible Terror.**

_**A tiny, pint-sized dragon steps out and moves toward the** _  
_**Recruits.** _

Some of the Terrors in the front rile up in excitement, and Toothless scoffed. He hated them.

**TUFFNUT**  
**Ha. It's like the size of my-**

_**Tuffnut is taken down in a blur.** _

"Thank Odin he didn't finish that," Hiccup says, and many people agree.

**TUFFNUT (CONT'D)**  
**Get it off! Get it off! Oh! I'm**  
**hurt, I am very much hurt!**

At this, Ruff cackles.

_**Hiccup stops the Terrible Terror with the same light-patch** _  
_**trick he used earlier with Toothless. The tiny dragon** _  
_**retreats back to it's cage. The teens approach him yet again** _  
_**as Astrid looks on with suspicion.** _

**TUFFNUT (CONT'D)**  
**(TO ASTRID)**  
**Wow, he's better than you ever**  
**Were.**

_**Astrid socks him.** _

_**CUT TO:** _

_**EXT. FOREST - MOMENTS LATER** _

_**Astrid furiously hurls her axe at a nearby tree. She notices** _  
_**Hiccup walking by in the distance, carrying one of his** _  
_**trademark harnesses. She quickly tries to follow, but he** _  
_**loses her in the woods.** _  
_**She HUFFS, frustrated.** _

_**EXT. COVE - LATER** _

_**Hiccup straps a newly designed harness onto Toothless. With** _  
_**Toothless tied to a nearby post with a rope. Hiccup rides him** _  
_**in the air - while stationary. Toothless looks like a giant** _  
_**kite tied to a tree stump. This harness seems to work.** _

_**EXT. SKY - MOMENTS LATER** _

_**The rope breaks and the pair CRASH into a tree. Hiccup's face** _  
_**is red.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Oh, great.**

The teenagers and Gobber laugh. How was he getting out of this one this time?

_**EXT. BERK - NIGHT** _

_**The streets are empty save for a lone Viking who crosses** _  
_**Hiccup's path.** _

They stop laughing. _He didn't..._

**VIKING**  
**Hiccup.**

_**Hiccup nods, trying to look casual.** _

Again, Hiccup cringes at his acting skills. He'd work on those...

_**Once the coast is clear, he covertly steers Toothless into the** _  
_**Blacksmith's stall. Toothless PRESSES himself inside, rooting** _  
_**through stuff and making a racket. Astrid, walking nearby, is alerted.** _

**ASTRID (O.S.)**  
**Hiccup?**

_**Hiccup FREEZES. Then frantically tries to pry the ring off** _  
_**the saddle hook. It won't budge.** _

"Wuh-oh," Hiccup mutters. Was he finally going to get caught? Would he lose Toothless?

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**Are you in there?**

_**Too late - she's right outside.** _  
_**ON ASTRID walking along the outside of the Blacksmith's.** _  
_**Hiccup JUMPS OUT the window and CLOSES the shutters behind** _  
_**him. Hiccup's harness line is stretched through the window,** _  
_**still attached to Toothless' saddle.** _

"That can't be good," Gobber comments. Hiccup feels his ears getting red in both irritation and embarrassment.

"So I noticed."

**HICCUP**  
**Astrid. Hey! Hi Astrid. Hi Astrid.**  
**Hi Astrid.**

_Can I get any redder?_

Toothless looked at him worriedly. He was changing colors... Was that normal behavior for a Viking?

**ASTRID**  
**I normally don't care what people**  
**do, but you're acting weird. Well,**  
**Weirder.**

_**Toothless spots a nearby sheep and makes a move toward it. As** _  
_**a result, Hiccup is suddenly PULLED TIGHT against the window** _  
_**shutters. He STRIKES A POSE to compensate... then gets PULLED** _  
_**THROUGH the shutters. They snap back in Astrid's face.** _  
_**Astrid reopens them and finds nothing but an empty stall.** _  
_**In the distance, Toothless and Hiccup slip off unseen.** _

" _Awkward_ ," Tuffnut sings from the middle row. Astrid decides the loss of her boot is worth it and throws it at Tuff's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. These are not morals, but whatevs. Hiccup living two lives. Sweet, aye?
> 
> See ya, I guess


	8. Wall Breaks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter STOICK THE VAST! He's back in the movie guys! ^_^
> 
> Also: Short Chapter

_**EXT. DOCKS - DAWN** _

_**A lone, battered ship is pulled into a slip, overloaded with** _  
_**equally battered-looking men. They disembark to a crowd of** _  
_**onlookers, looking like a team of hometown heroes who just** _  
_**had their butts kicked.** _  
_**Gobber hobbles through the MUMBLING crowd to find Stoick -** _  
_**last to disembark and glowering with battered pride.** _

They inhale sharply. _Two weeks?_ That was all the time Hiccup and the Night Fury had spent together? They hadn't notice Hiccup's friendship with a dragon for _two weeks_?!

**VIKING**  
**Where are the other ships?**

**SPITELOUT**  
**You don't want to know.**

Many Vikings winced, remembering the flash of light and shadow of a dragon from the movie a while ago. At least it seemed they'd all gotten back alive. Only many lost ships...

_**Stoick lumbers past Gobber, leaving him staring at the** _  
_**trashed ship.** _

**GOBBER**  
**Well, I trust you found the nest at**  
**least?**

**STOICK**  
**Not even close.**

Stoick huffed, pride and ego broken. He may somewhat acknowledge that the Night Fury wasn't a danger to Hiccup now ( _of course not. Without Hiccup, it wouldn't be able to fly_ ), but the rest of the dragon race would perish under Viking hand. _Thor knows the hundreds of lives lost to the devils._

**GOBBER**  
**Ah. Excellent.**

Stoick liked Gobber. He was his best friend. But sometime, he wanted to strangle the blonde.

_**Gobber follows Stoick up the ramp and snags his duffle bag** _  
_**with his hook appendage, sharing the burden.** _

**STOICK**  
**I hope you had a little more**  
**success than me.**

**GOBBER**  
**Well, if by success, you mean that**  
**your parenting troubles are over**  
**with, then... Yes.**

_**Stoick stops. What does that mean?** _

"You're getting pale Dad," Hiccup announces aloud.

_**A group of merry villagers rush past.** _

**VIKING #1**  
**Congratulations Stoick! Everyone is**  
**so relieved.**

**VIKING #2**  
**Out with the old and in with the**  
**new, right?!**

**VIKING #3**  
**No one will miss that old nuisance!**

**VIKING #4**  
**The village is throwing a party to**  
**celebrate!**

"Wow. They usually only get that excited over children's funerals... Hey, Dad, your screen-self is getting paler by the- oh..."

_**Stoick is stunned, overwhelmed by the insensitivity. He turns** _  
_**to Gobber.** _

**STOICK**  
**He's... gone?**

"Geez...I haven't even been _close_ to dying," Hiccup tries to brag.

"Night Fury. Too many times to count." -Fishlegs

"Gronkle" -Ruffnut

"Astrid's axe. Twice" -Snotlout

"The Zippleback." -Astrid

"Flying on-"

"I get it I get it," Hiccup interrupted Tuff and scowled as the Berk teens grinned.

**GOBBER**  
**Yeah...most afternoons. But who can**  
**blame him? I mean the life of a**  
**celebrity is very rough. He can**  
**barely walk through the village**  
**without being swarmed by his new**  
**Fans.**

Hiccup could almost feel the heat rush to his face. Him. Fans? That was impossible...then again. That was probably the crowd that kept chasing him during the music based scene...

_**Stoick is doubly confused.** _

**STOICK**  
**Hiccup?**

"Oh, your confidence in me is flattering," Hiccup said dryly. Was it so hard to believe he could take down a dragon? He really could...he just couldn't kill it...

**GOBBER**  
**(BEAMING)**  
**Who would've thought, eh? He has**  
**this...way with the beasts.**

The scene changed while Hiccup thought for a second. "You're right Gobber. I do have a _'way'_ with dragons..."

Stoick looked at his son, worried. He had a way, that was for sure. They could use that way to take dragons down, and that was good. The way Hiccup meant it...that was bad.

Hiccup didn't want to kill dragons at all.

_**CUT TO:** _

_**EXT. SKY - AFTERNOON** _

_**Toothless and Hiccup soar through a perfect blue sky.** _  
_**Billowing clouds rise like mountains. The ground seems miles** _  
_**below them.** _

"Don't fall again Hiccup," Snotlout teased, earning a laugh from them all. The twins secretly hoped he would.

**HICCUP**  
**Okay there bud, we're gonna take**  
**this nice and slow.**

_**Hiccup checks a leather cheat sheet, clipped onto his** _  
_**harness. Inscribed upon it are several tail positions and** _  
_**their pedal position equivalents.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Here we go. Here we go...position**  
**three, no four.**

"This doesn't look like it'll go well," Fishlegs said.

"Trust me! I'll survive this one too, like any other. Isn't that right Bud?" Hiccup didn't notice the horrified expressions some of the Vikings (his father included) gave him. At least the teenagers seemed warmed up to the idea...well. All of them but Astrid. She might have been at the edge of thinking that maybe dragons weren't so bad, but she was still firmly in the _"dragons are bad"_ side.

 _Viking stubborness_ , Zero rolled his eyes.

_**He presses the pedal, causing the tail to flare. They roll** _  
_**off into an arcing bank, gloriously lit by the late afternoon** _  
_**sun.** _  
_**Hiccup tucks tight against his neck, thrilled that his new** _  
_**harness and vest are holding. The foot controls make the tail** _  
_**appendage quick and responsive. He watches Toothless' every** _  
_**fluctuation, trying to match it with the prosthetic.** _  
_**Hiccup sizes up a target - a towering arch of stone, rising** _  
_**from the sea.** _

"I have a question. Why do you insist on being the test subject of one of your inventions considering your past failures?" Gobber decided he should speak out. Hiccup was doing something very dangerous after all. Maybe he could stop him now?

"Maybe it's fun," Hiccup responded. " _Maybe_ ," he emphasized, noticing the both concerned and disgusted stares the vikings gave him.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Alright, it's go time. It's go**  
**Time.**

_**They dive toward it, lining up to pass through the arch.** _

"Yep, I was right. Hiccup's gonna crash."

"Have a little faith, 'Legs."

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Come on. Come on buddy. Come on**  
**buddy!**

_**They zip through the arch. A perfect maneuver.** _

Despite themselves, the Vikings can't help but cheer along with Hiccup. _He survived! His invention actually worked_! The dragons roared too. After all, the Night Fury could finally fly too.

_But would he ever again reach the same potential of flight? Would he have to suffer the slow pace humans traveled at after all?_

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Yeah! Yes, it worked!**

_**The triumph is short-lived. They smack into one of several** _  
_**sea stacks as Hiccup tries to keep up with the turns.** _

The Vikings laugh, still in the moment of victory.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Sorry.**

_**They hurtle into another rock pillar. Toothless grumbles.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**My fault.**

_**Toothless swats him with his 'ear' plate.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Yeah, yeah, I'm on it.**  
**(referring to the cheat SHEET)**  
**Position four, no three.**

Hiccup winced. Was he bad at cheating? _Apparently..._

Zero laughed.

_**They pierce the clouds. For the first time, Hiccup can see** _  
_**the whole of the island below them. It shrinks with every** _  
_**passing second. He SWALLOWS hard and tightens his grip on the** _  
_**Handles.** _

The eyes of every Viking widen in the room. Most with worry, and the teenagers with a bit of fear. Hiccup however feels the exact opposite.

"I can't wait," he whispered. Stoick looked at his son. _No no. This is all wrong. He should hate dragons, not want to make friends with them..._

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Yeah! Go baby! Yes! Oh, this is**  
**amazing! The wind in my...**

_**He spots the leather guide tearing free in the turbulence.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(PANICKED)**  
**... CHEAT SHEET! STOP!**

"I knew it," Fishlegs can't help but scream out in a panic. Stoick tenses, realizing Fishlegs wasn't just panicking for no reason.

**_Hiccup grabs frantically for the airborne sheet..._ **

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**No!**

_**... and NABS IT before it's carried out of reach. Toothless,** _  
_**however, obeys the command and suddenly STOPS beating his** _  
_**wings.** _  
_**As they slow to a stop, Hiccup goes weightless. The rings of** _  
_**his vest float off of the harness hooks. Hiccup suddenly** _  
_**finds himself detached, free-falling.** _

The exhilaration from the previous flight was gone, and the Vikings fidgeted nervously in their seats, not being able to stand up as they'd like to.

Hiccup's eyes widened further, but this time with worry and panic.

_Am I going to die here? Oh gods. Why me? Nononono-_

A thought stopped him short.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Oh gods! Oh no!**

_**Without Hiccup, the tail loses control. Hiccup and Toothless** _  
_**spiral downward. Toothless FIGHTS to get back under Hiccup.** _

"Toothless!" he yelled, grabbing his hair. Stoick, despite the fright he felt for Hiccup turns to the fourteen year old. _Did he seriously just call out to the dragon...when he might be closer to death than the devil?_ His eyes narrowed, betrayal clearly displayed in them. Because that was what Hiccup was doing. Betraying them.

Hiccup's voice on the screen forces him to look away from the real boy.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(trying to calm Toothless)**  
**Alright, okay. You just gotta kinda**  
**angle yourself. No, no...come back**  
**down towards me. Come back down-**  
**Hiccup extends his arms and legs, giving himself as much**  
**surface area as he can. He angles back towards Toothless as**  
**the tumbling dragon WHACKS Hiccup with his wing.**

They all wince as Screen-Hiccup loses consciousness for less than a second. _That probably hurt..._

_**After a few more misses, Hiccup finally GRABS HOLD of the** _  
_**harness and manages to lock in - just in time to pull** _  
_**Toothless out of his dive...** _

They breath a sigh of relief...

_**barely shy of the tree tops.** _

...And cover their eyes. This was definitely the end. Hiccup and the dragon were sure to die. Hiccup had already resigned himself, bringing his head down to his hands.

The promise of Hiccup becoming a hero by the end of the story had been long forgotten.

Well, at least Toothless remembered. He nudges his human - yes, _his_ human - and tries to comfort the boy.

_'Gods, I wish I could speak Norse...'_

_**They careen past the wooded cliff and directly into a** _  
_**treacherous slalom course of jutting sea stacks.** _  
_**Hiccup pulls the cheat sheet from his teeth and attempts to** _  
_**check positions. It flaps violently in the turbulence, making** _  
_**it impossible.** _  
_**With no time to think, Hiccup throws it away and steers** _  
_**Toothless' tail on instinct... with perfect intuition.** _  
_**Together, they manage a tight, hair-raising series of split-** _  
_**second turns, making it to the open water, unscathed.** _  
_**Hiccup takes a breath and glances back at the death-defying** _  
_**obstacle course, now safely behind them. He beams, relieved.** _  
_**He sits back and throws his arms up in victory.** _

The Vikings roar before Hiccup does, and Hiccup raises his head in surprise. He knew they liked children's funerals, but _seriously_? His body was probably lost-

_Oh..._

He synchronized with the screen perfectly. "YEEAHHH!"

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**YEEAHHH!**

_**Toothless concurs with a happy SQUEAL and a fireball.** _  
_**Hiccup's glee turn to dread as they fly directly into it.** _

Thankfully, real Toothless doesn't do that.

**ON HICCUP'S FACE**  
**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Ah, come on.**

The happy laughs fill the room, and Hiccup can't help but just...look. They weren't laughing at him ( _or at least they weren't a while ago_ ). They'd actually been worried for him; and happy with him; happy _for_ him. They actually seemed to like _him_. Not his fake dragon conquering side; his _real_ dragon _training_ side.

He laughed along with them when his blackened face appeared on screen.

_**EXT. BLACK SAND BEACH - SUNSET** _

_**Hiccup and Toothless lounge on a sprawling, deserted beach,** _  
_**snacking of freshly caught fish. As Hiccup cooks his over a** _  
_**fire, Toothless suddenly regurgitates a fish head. Hiccup** _  
_**smirks with forced politeness.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Uh..no thanks.**  
**(gesturing to his fish on**  
**A STICK)**  
**I'm good.**

"Terrible taste, you dragons have..."

_**Several Terrible Terrors land like seagulls, hissing and** _  
_**nipping at each other as they approach Toothless' pile of** _  
_**fish.** _  
_**One grabs the regurgitated fish head and drags it away.** _  
_**Another attempts to steal it from him. They face off and last** _  
_**fire balls at each other to settle the fight. Hiccup and** _  
_**Toothless watch, amused. That is until...** _  
_**Toothless spots one of his fish leaving the pile. A stealthy** _  
_**Terrible Terror is exposed as the thief. They tug on the** _  
_**fish, and it snaps back into Toothless' mouth. He swallows it** _  
_**back tauntingly.** _  
_**Irate, the little dragon paws at the ground and blast** _  
_**Toothless. He opens his mouth, the gas hiss comes, and** _  
_**Toothless fires a tiny flame straight into its mouth, causing** _  
_**the gas to backfire into the little dragon. It coughs up** _  
_**smoke and staggers away, looking ill.** _

The children coo.

"Hey, can _we_ do that?"-Tuffnut

"Yeah! I wanna eat fire!"-Ruffnut

_**Hiccup laughs.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Not so fireproof on the inside, are**  
**you?**

_**Hiccup throws the hapless Terror his freshly cooked fish.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Here you go.**

_**The appreciative little dragon gulps down the meal and** _  
_**approaches Hiccup cautiously. He curls up next to him. Hiccup** _  
_**is amazed.** _

Toothless fidgets before scooting closer to Hiccup. Hiccup smirks.

"Jealous?" _Whack!_ "Ow!"

_**Hiccup carefully pets him... sending the Terror into an** _  
_**immediate, blissful sleep.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(PENSIVE)**  
**Everything we know about you guys**  
**is wrong.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And because the title 'Test Drive' is too mainstream, I'll call it either Instinct or Wall Breaks.
> 
> Instinct refers to the flying, while Wall Breaks refers to him breaking that wall that separates the humans from dragons and vice versa. The Terrible Terror was the final act (Inuyasha - thanx shinshinjane for telling me i misspelled it - anyone?) to breaking that wall. Hiccup interacting with Toothless is one thing, but he keeps himself away from the other dragons. Then he lets the Terror sleep on him and realizes: Oh my gods. All dragons deserve what Toothless does.
> 
> Before that scene I didn't think he cared for any other dragon. He just assumed Toothless was special. Well now you know
> 
> See ya, I guess


	9. Coward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems someone wants Toothless to speak Norse (or Hiccup dragonese) but I can no do that. All dragons would have endless amounts of comments and we have enough of the sassy-ness with Hiccup and Gobber.
> 
> Plus, I never really believed in the Toothless and Hiccup can exchange words thing. At least not when it comes out of nowhere. The 'I wish I could speak Norse' from Toothless was not foreshadowing, it was a wish that neither Clara nor Zero will grant him.
> 
> Sorry 'bout that.

_**INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - HICCUP'S CLOSET - NIGHT** _

_**HICCUP is lost in thought, his head laid of a desk full of** _  
_**Toothless drawings.** _

"Is that all you do with your time? Play with a pencil?" Astrid asked. Maybe she was just looking for an excuse to embarrass him, or maybe she was genuinely curious. She herself didn't know. She was torn between the strange intrigue and jealousy at this point.

"No... Usually I'm sketching or building but..."

"But?"

"I guess I gave up on weapons after all of... _that_ ," he gestured to the giant screen.

Astrid's brow furrowed. She turned back to the film, just in time to catch Hiccup's expression. The expression of someone

_**Burdened with the weight of the world.** _  
_**Suddenly, STOICK appears in the doorway. Hiccup jumps and** _  
_**quickly covers up his desk.** _

"That makes it worse," Snotlout said as a matter of factly.

"Trust us, we should know," Tuffnut added.

**HICCUP**  
**Dad! You're back!**

_**He skirts the bench, blocking Stoick's view of Toothless, the** _  
_**prosthetic fin, and other drawings.** _

Ruffnut facepalms. Hiccup wasn't much of a lier... They could work on that later...

She ignored the fact that a few hours ago she wouldn't have been caught dead with Hiccup.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Gobber's not here, so...**

_**He strikes an awkwardly casual pose, trying to cover up as** _  
_**much as possible.** _

"Gobber's not always the reason I go there," Stoick said. He felt insulted, somehow, that his son thought the first person he'd want to greet would be Gobber and not his own flesh and blood. Although Gobber was usually there to help the pair communicate, he still kept Hiccup his priority...kind of.

**STOICK**  
**I know. I came looking for you.**

**HICCUP**  
**(CAUGHT)**  
**You did?**

"It's not _that_ surprising!"

"You never come looking for me unless I'm in trouble! I'm probably caught. Oh man," Hiccup moaned. Stocik huffed a little and Gobber let out a laugh.

**STOICK**  
**(STERN)**  
**You've been keeping secrets.**

_**Hiccup's legs give out. He slides, dragging the table's** _  
_**contents with him.** _

"Smooth," Snotlout informs. The real Hiccup was at the moment halfway out of the chair, having slid along with his screen-self.

"How-"

**HICCUP**  
**I...have?**

**STOICK**  
**Just how long did you think you**  
**could hide it from me?**

**HICCUP**  
**(IN VAIN)**  
**I don't know what you're...**

"I give up on this kid," Tuffnut scoffs. Ruffnut punches his shoulder. Maybe a little pain would bring him to realize that he should be more worried about the outcome of bad lying than the bad lying itself.

**STOICK**  
**Nothing happens on this island**  
**without me hearing about it.**

Gobber lets out a scoff.

**HICCUP**  
**Oh?**

**STOICK**  
**So.**  
**(BEAT)**  
**Let's talk about that dragon.**

_**Blood drains from Hiccup's face.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Oh gods. Dad I'm so sorry. I was**  
**going to tell you. I just didn't**  
**know how to-**

_**Stoick starts laughing. Big, booming. Hiccup stares, baffled.** _

"Wait, what?" Hiccup's eyebrows furrow. _Dad hates dragons..._ The rest of the village was just as shocked, and much more vocal about it.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**You're not...upset?**

**STOICK**  
**What?! I was hoping for this!**

**HICCUP**  
**Uh...you were?**

"Um...Am I missing something here?"

"Apparently your dad wanted you to keep a pet dragon," Tuffnut answers. Toothless huffs at the word "pet" but Hiccup ignores it.

"Just take for granted anything the twins say," he whispers to Toothless, who gladly obliges.

Zero chuckles under his breath, having heard the boy **(what can I say, he's a rather snoopy wizard)**.

**STOICK**  
**And believe me, it only gets**  
**better! Just wait til you spill a**  
**Nadder's guts for the first time.**

_**Hiccup's elated expression sinks.** _

Hiccup looks at the screen, almost not surprised. He sighs. Of _course_ his dad wouldn't be talking about befriending a dragon...

Stoick's face falls, seeing his son's (both on screen and real life) expression sink. His son really cared about what he had to say in the matter?

Of course, Stoick was skeptical about dragons, and no matter how much he was starting to like the Night Fury, he tried to push back the thought that told him dragons weren't so bad. Maybe even good. He was stubborn after all.

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**And mount your first Gronckle head**  
**on a spear. What a feeling!**

_**Stoick laughs and smacks Hiccup on the shoulder, sending him** _  
_**into the wall.** _

Hiccup, as well as some viking teens and children wince. They've all definitely been in that position before.

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**You really had me going there, son.**  
**All those years of the worst Viking**  
**Berk has ever seen! Odin, it was**  
**rough. I almost gave up on you!**

_**Hiccup gets back up, grimacing in the irony of it all.** _

"You almost gave up on me, huh?" Hiccup says dryly. Of course he knew that...somewhat. He wasn't exactly aware that his dad was still trying _at all_ , but it saddened him to think that he was being given up on.

"Son, I-"

"Save it," Hiccup cuts him off. He doesn't mean for his voice to sound harsh, but it still does. Stoick keeps quiet, afraid he might make it worse (something he's realized he's capable of at the most inopportune moments).

Gobber glanced at them worriedly. They needed his heart-to-heart translation, or else they couldn't talk. But he was all the way near the front row with the teengers behind him while Hiccup and Stoick were at the very back...

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**And all the while, you were holding**  
**out on me! Thor almighty!**

_**Stoick grabs a stool and sits. His massive frame nearly fills** _  
_**the tiny room.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**(RELIEVED)**  
**Ahhhhh. With you doing so well in**  
**the ring, we finally have something**  
**to talk about.**

_**Pregnant pause. Hiccup averts his eyes nervously. Stoick** _  
_**adjusts, awkwardly clearing his throat.** _

Gobber slaps his forehead. They really needed him...

_**After a long, uncomfortable silence...** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**Oh, I... brought you something.**

_**He presents a horned helmet.** _

**To keep you safe in the ring.**

**(Yes, more one-shot tid-bits!)**  
(Hiccup gasps. He'd never had a helmet before (his father was convinced that at some point he'd realize it was too dangerous to go out without one...you can see how well that goes). It was very important for Snoggletog too, a place for Odin (his dad pretending to be Odin) to put treats.

(You can tell he'd never been given many treats before then...)

**HICCUP**  
**(SINCERE)**  
**Wow. Thanks.**

_**Hiccup accepts it, looking it over.** _

**STOICK**  
**Your mother would've wanted you to**  
**have it.**  
**(HEARTFELT)**  
**It's half of her breast plate.**

_**Stoick taps his own helmet and smiles.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**Matching set. Keeps her close,**  
**y'know?**

_**Hiccup eyes the mismatched helmets, grimacing.** _

Real Hiccup grimaces as well. _So much for a moment._ The other Berk teens start laughing as the screen Hiccup stops caressing the helmet he seemed so glad to get only a second ago.

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**Wear it proudly. You deserve it.**  
**You've held up your end of the**  
**Deal.**

_**Stoick beams with pride. Hiccup squirms. He forces a YAWN.** _

**HICCUP**  
**I should really get to bed.**

**STOICK HICCUP**  
**(talking over each (talking over each**  
**OTHER) OTHER)**  
**Yes! Good! Okay. Good talk. See you back at the house.**  
**We should do this again. I'm Great. Thanks for stopping**  
**glad I stopped by, I hope you by. And for the... the uh,**  
**like the hat. breast hat.**

**STOICK**  
**Well..uh..good night.**

Gobber's not the only one who winces at the strained conversation father and son have. If it weren't so sad, they'd laugh.

_**Stoick leaves the room awkwardly, leaving Hiccup looking more** _  
_**burdened than ever.** _

Okay, this time they do laugh. It's not everyday you see Chief Stoick the Vast leave a room so awkwardly, or stumble at all for that matter. Some still wince but continue laughing at the racket.

"I'm back!" The clear voice of Clara the Witch sings. "You can leave now Zero," she smiled at her impassive boyfriend, appearing out of nowhere.

"I think I'd rather not." Zero had to keep watch over her if he wanted his girlfriend to behave.

"Wh-what!? But...okay!" She smiles. "Then we can have a date! You," she points at Astrid who was seated on the seat next to Zero, "move to the front row."

"What!? No! I can't even-" Astrid stood up. _Oh..._ She can. She grumbles as she makes her way to the front row, where there are only two seats. Even she knew it was a fool's choice to disobey a witch.

_**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - AFTERNOON** _

_**A Gronckle hovers above the ring, hunting victims as the teen** _  
_**recruits scramble.** _  
_**Astrid ducks behind a barrier to find Hiccup already there.** _  
_**She forces her axe at his throat.** _

"Hey! Careful with the merchandise!" Hiccup yells, not afraid to say something now that Astrid was a lot farther away from him with no chances of moving. Astrid turns around to glare.

**ASTRID**  
**Stay out of my way! I'm winning**  
**this thing.**

Then she winces. She wasn't usually like that, right? Nono, she was usually calm cool and collected. This was a shameful display of jealous, obsessive and all-over the place...

Yep, this was shameful. Maybe it's a good thing that she's up in the front now. At least she won't be made fun of...

...Not that anyone would make fun of the Astrid Hofferson, but she wasn't quite as aware of that...

**HICCUP**  
**Please, by all means.**

_**She darts off, CLOSING FAST on the dragon. The crowd above** _  
_**cheers her on.** _

**VIKING IN CROWD**  
**You got it Astrid!**

_**Hiccup stands and looks around. Amidst the crowd of** _  
_**onlookers, Stoick watches keenly, beaming with pride.** _  
_**He locks eyes with Hiccup, giving him a nod of encouragement.** _  
_**Hiccup adjusts his new helmet and forces a half-hearted** _  
_**Smile.** _

"Okay...okay. Just lose. It's not so hard for a hiccup like me, right?" Hiccup tries to sound not worried, but the idea of the Gronckle getting hurt at all bothered him. It was the same Gronkle he'd given a scratch. He felt somewhat protective of it now.

_**Unbeknownst to Hiccup, the Gronckle spots him and makes a bee-** _  
_**line toward him.** _

"Oh great," he says. The other Vikings tense. Hiccup was winning this...

_**BACK TO ASTRID** _  
_**... as she catches her breath behind a barrier. She scowls,** _  
_**focused, determined.** _

**ASTRID**  
**This time. This time for sure.**

"Yeah, about that," Snotlout starts.

"Don't say another word," Astrid raises a finger at him. Threat received, he stops talking.

_**With a FIERCE BATTLE-CRY she LEAPS from cover, axe cocked to** _  
_**throw.** _

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**Aaaaaaaaaa...**

**And as she clears the barriers, she sees that Hiccup has**  
**already laid the Gronckle out.**

"No way!" Both Astrid and Hiccup yell. They would have stood up, but they're still stuck to their seats.

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**...aaaaaaauGGGGGHHHHHHHH! No! No!**

_**Hiccup shrugs, as unhappy with the situation as she is.** _

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**NO! NO! SON OF HALFTROLL RAT EATING**  
**MUNGE BUCKET!**

"S'not like I wanted to- _ugh!_ " Hiccup drops his head into his hands. "Please don't choose me. Please don't choose me," he starts to mutter, catching Stoick's attention. Even he didn't want Hiccup to be chosen. _It would embarrass Hiccup or...kill him..._

_**A loud CLACK ring out. From the crowd above, Gothi, the** _  
_**village elder, steps forward, tapping her staff. Everyone** _  
_**lights up excitedly.** _

**STOICK**  
**Wait! Wait!**

**HICCUP**  
**So, later.**

_**Gobber snags Hiccup as he attempts to leave.** _

"Damn it all to Hel," Hiccup sits back in his seat and glares at Gobber.

**GOBBER**  
**Not so fast.**

**HICCUP**  
**I'm kinda late for-**

**ASTRID**  
**(LIVID)**  
**What? Late for what exactly?**

_**Stoick holds out his hands to silence the jabbering crowd.** _

**STOICK**  
**Okay quiet down. The elder has**  
**Decided.**

"Come'n Gothi. You can do this," Hiccup encourages. Maybe he doesn't have to kill a dragon. _But if I have to..._

He decided he'd run away. He nodded to himself determinedly and unconciencely patted Toothless.

"Don't worry Bud, I'm _no_ t killing a dragon," he whispers, too quiet for Stoick to hear.

_**Thrilled, Gobber stands behind Hiccup and Astrid. He points** _  
_**to Astrid as the crowd waits in silent anticipation. Gothi** _  
_**shakes her head 'no.' The crowd 'Oooohs.'** _

Hiccup's determined expression falls. He has to leave...

_**Gobber then points to Hiccup. The elder nods an affirmative** _  
_**'yes.' The crowd erupts in cheers.  
** _ _**Astrid turns a seething, deadly glare on Hiccup.** _

"No way! What are you gonna do Hiccup!?" Fishlegs asks.

**GOBBER**  
**You've done it! You've done it,**  
**Hiccup! You get to kill the dragon!**

The other teens (including Astrid in the front row) turn around and look at him questioningly. Hiccup looks around to see several other Vikings including his father and Gobber. He looked to his right to see the dragons were also staring at him. The whole room save for the wizard and witch were looking at him.

**STOICK**  
**Ha, ha! That's my boy!**

He paled and shook his head, hiding his face behind Toothless.

_**Hiccup is hoisted onto the recruits' shoulders and carried** _  
_**out to the cheering spectators...** _

They gave him worried looks but turned back to the screen, sure that the answer would come soon...

**HICCUP**  
**(MASKING PANIC)**  
**Heh, heh. Oh yeah! Yes! I can't**  
**wait. I am so...**

_**EXT. HIDDEN COVE - DUSK** _

**HICCUP**  
**... leaving.**

"What was that?" Astrid asked. As if to answer her, the screen Hiccup repeated himself.

**We're leaving. Let's**  
**pack up. Looks like you and me are**  
**taking a little vacation,**

"Hiccup! You can't..." Stoick trails off...His son very obviously could though...

_**Forever.** _

"That's a terribly long time," comments Zero. Clara glares and slaps him on the shoulder, outraged by her boyfriend's cruel (and admittedly attractive) attitude. Hiccup doesn't have the heart to respond, even if getting killed by a wizard seemed like a great plan at the moment.

_**Toothless is nowhere in sight. Hiccup sets down his basket** _  
_**and opens it up, his head clouded with troubles.** _

Hiccup keeps his face hidden, refusing to look at his father or Gobber or even Astrid and the rest of the teenagers. _Why do_ they _care anyway. They shouldn't care, I'm Hiccup the Useless. They should be happy I'm leaving._ I _should be happy to be leaving them..._ But he wasn't.

Of course he wouldn't be. The vikings were his family, whether they acted like it or not. They were the ones he was trying to live up to from the start, not just his father. Oh, and his father! And Gobber! Astrid even, his long time crush. He was going to leave all of that.

He synchronized with the screen, sweeping his hand across his face.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Oh..man...**

_**SHINK!** _

Hiccup looks up. Toothless did _not_ sound like that...

_**Hiccup looks up to the sound of...** _  
_**ASTRID, sitting on the rock right in front of him, sharpening** _  
_**her axe.** _

"Oh, that's not supposed to happen," he said. _Nono!_ He was supposed to be leaving forever without anyone ever knowing he trained his best friend...He was supposed to leave knowing his dad was proud of him, not with the knowledge that Stoick hated him.

"I'm supposed to be leaving, not exiled," Hiccup whispered.

Stoick turned to him. Did Hiccup really believe he'd exile his own son? Never. He would never...

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(SHOCKED)**  
**Aggh! What the-**  
**(RECOMPOSING)**  
**What are you doing here?**

_**She hops off the rock and back him down, spinning her axe** _  
_**threateningly. Hiccup's eyes dart around nervously, searching** _  
_**for Toothless.** _

Toothless growls. "Oh boy," Hiccup blows air in his cheeks. _This is not ending well is it?_ Not only was he getting exiled, but he was also gonna watch his best friend kill his crush.

"This day can't get any better," he rolls his eyes at the dry statement.

"Oh it does," Zero responds darkly, earning another glare from Clara. Hiccup's eyes widened in fear. _Of course..._

**ASTRID**  
**I want to know what's going on. No**  
**one just gets as good as you do.**  
**Especially you. Start talking! Are**  
**you training with someone?**

**HICCUP**  
**Uh...training?**

_**She grabs him by his odd-looking harness.** _

**ASTRID**  
**It better not involve... this.**

**HICCUP**  
**I know this looks really bad, but**  
**you see...this is, uh...**

_**They hear a RUSTLE coming from the other side of the cove.** _  
_**Astrid DROPS Hiccup to the ground and sets off to** _  
_**Investigate.** _

Winces all around, especially for those who know what it's like to be thrown on the ground by Astrid (ahem, Tuffnut and Snotlout).

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(PANICKED)**  
**You're right! You're right. I'm**  
**through with the lies. I've been**  
**making... outfits. So you got me.**  
**It's time everyone knew. Drag me**  
**back. Go ahead. Here we go.**

_**He puts her hand back on his harness, getting her to 'drag** _  
_**him back.' Astrid BENDS Hiccups hand backwards, driving him** _  
_**Down.** _

Hearing the crack, Hiccup actually flinches.

Toothless considers attacking the blonde...well, he _tried_ , actually. _'Damn witch,'_ he growled.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**AAAAUUGGGHHH! Why would you do**  
**that?!**

**ASTRID**  
**That's for the lies.**

_**Astrid pounces the hilt of her axe off of Hiccup's laid-out** _  
_**body.** _

Oh he wishes he could burn her to a crisp. _No, better yet; tear her apart limb from limb and then burn her to ashes, making sure the process was as slow as possible._ She made him cry out in pain. His little Hiccup-

 _'Oh boy,_ ' Toothless realizes he likes Hiccup...a lot **(no beastiality or Toothcup please).**

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**And THAT'S for everything else.**

_**Hiccup's YELP is answered with A GROWL, coming from the other** _  
_**side of the cove. Astrid looks up to see...** _

"Great..." Hiccup's dry humour snaps Toothless out of his epiphany.

_**A NIGHT FURY. Toothless pounces toward them, snarling.** _

**HICCUP**  
**(FEEBLE)**  
**Oh man.**

_**She dives onto Hiccup.** _

**ASTRID**  
**Get down! Run! Run!**

"Can you just make up your mind? Either you wanna kill me or you wanna save me," Hiccup let's his frustration get the better of him.

"I think Toothless thinks it's the former," Fishlegs points out, and real life Toothless nods. Stoick can't help but agree, making sure to keep quiet about it.

_**Astrid pulls her axe, ready to take on Toothless.** _

**HICCUP**  
**No!**

_**Hiccup knocks Astrid's cocked axe to the ground, out of** _  
_**reach, then stops Toothless short of crushing her.** _

"Bada-" Tuffnut doesn't get to finish his statement before Ruffnut socks him in the nose.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**No. It's okay! It's okay...**

_**Toothless pulls up short and lands hard, SPRAYING Astrid with** _  
_**sand.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(CALMING)**  
**She's a friend.**

_**Toothless snorts in disagreement. Astrid is frozen. Toothless** _  
_**looks from her to Hiccup and back to her, confused.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(TO ASTRID)**  
**You just scared him.**

Toothless huffs indignantly.

**ASTRID**  
**I scared him!?**

_**Hiccup makes a "be quiet" motion.** _

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**(INTENSE WHISPER)**  
**Who is him?**

**HICCUP.**  
**Astrid, Toothless. Toothless,**  
**Astrid.**

_**Astrid backs away, eyeing Hiccup and Toothless together with** _  
_**pure disgust. She turns and RUNS for the village.** _

"You had to show your teeth... Duh dada-"

**HICCUP**  
**We're dead.**

_**Satisfied with Astrid's departure, Toothless turns away.** _

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa-"

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(TO TOOTHLESS)**  
**Where do you think you're going?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And you see, this is where most would leave you in the cliff hanger. I will not do that because the whole leaving and the ring and the awkward father-son talk are all part of this chapter's moral.
> 
> Here, lemme explain: Hiccup is a coward. Everyone is. Therefore, he won't admit to his mistakes (training Toothless is still considered a mistake, yes). He doesn't have any other reason to back up his 'Training dragons is better than killing them' theory, because they're still stealing food and seemingly attacking the village.
> 
> He would never admit to anybody that he's lonely, feels forgotten and outcasted etc (in my opinion. He complains to Gobber often, but then tries to make it seem like it's nothing, though that may just be the sassy sarcasm talking). So the better choice (coward's way) is to run away.
> 
> Yup. Hiccup's a coward (or emotionally unstable to an extent. Doesn't trust people with his emotions?) and I love that. Chapter's name: Coward.
> 
> See ya, I guess.


	10. Calm Before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Have a little faith guyz! I already said all fifteen chapters to this story are complete and almost all of the are done with editing (bolding, italics and spell-checks).
> 
> BTW: Nope. Not gonna name it those. I try to look away from the romance (I suck at writing it, though I love to read it), so I won't name this chapter 'Romantic Flight' or the other 2-3 names you mentioned. And if I was, you jinxed it. XD
> 
> By the way, I would have probably been that person who lasts months before uploading. I've been working on this since summer vacation and often erased a lot of it or changed the sub-plots completely. You're lucky you've never seen my Thomarie and Ranma fanfic (you know, the ones I will never finish -.-)
> 
> 'Nother short chapter cuz "morals".

_**EXT. WOODS - MOMENTS LATER** _

_**ASTRID races through the trees. A large shadow overtakes her.** _  
_**She is suddenly SNATCHED into the air. Astrid SCREAMS.** _

**ASTRID**  
**Oh great Odin's ghost, this is it!**

"I'm not gonna kill you," Hiccup tries to reason.

"You have a _Night Fury_ ," Astrid emphasized.

"...Point taken."

_**Hiccup and Toothless fly Astrid to the top of a towering** _  
_**pine. It bows and creaks under their weight as Astrid dangles** _  
_**a hundred feet in the air.** _

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**Hiccup! Get me down from here!**

"You son of a half troll-"

"Astrid, please. There's children here," Gobber smirks.

"You are not helping," Hiccup glared at Gobber.

"Does nobody care that I'm dangling from a tree and hanging on for my life?"

"I'm not gonna let you fall..."

"You don't sound convinced," she sneered.

"I am! I am..." _kind of_. At this point, he might actually care more about Toothless than Astrid...maybe.

**HICCUP**  
**You have to give me a chance to**  
**explain.**

**ASTRID**  
**I'm not listening to ANYTHING you**  
**have to say!**

"Come on Hiccup! She's just playing hard to get," Gobber cheers. The room silences and they stare at Gobber. "...You know what I meant..."

"I think that's the problem. What you mean," clarifies Stoick, but Gobber continues to shamelessly grin at him.

**HICCUP**  
**Then I won't speak. Just let me**  
**show you.**

_**Hiccup extends a hand.** _

"Come'n Astrid. Please..." Hiccup silently begged. He didn't doubt he'd leave her there if she neglected the offer, but he didn't want to leave the girl he loved _(liked! Liked! It's just a crush!)_ for dead...

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Please, Astrid.**

_**She eyes him and the dragon, then the ground far, far below.** _  
_**After a moment, she swats Hiccup's outstretched hand away and** _  
_**reluctantly climbs over the pedal, lines, and harness. She** _  
_**settles behind Hiccup, avoiding as much contact as possible.** _

Ignoring the rudeness, Hiccup sighs with relief. Unknowingly, Astrid does too.

**ASTRID**  
**Now get me down.**

**HICCUP**  
**Toothless? Down. Gently.**

Toothless snorts at the request. _Hel no._

Hiccup glances at him worriedly. _Toothless wouldn't...nope. Yep, yeah, uh...he would_ , he realized as Toothless' expression passed by the screen.

_**Toothless leers mischievously. He spreads his wings slowly.** _  
_**With a WHOP, they fill with the updraft. Toothless releases** _  
_**the tree, tucks in his legs, and HOVERS in place.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**See? Nothing to be afraid of.**

_**Toothless suddenly LAUNCHES straight upward. Astrid SCREAMS.** _  
_**The acceleration is tremendous. Every downbeat bucks the** _  
_**saddle, heaving them into the sky, doubling their speed like** _  
_**a rocket. Astrid is thrown backward. She SCREAMS and hugs** _  
_**Hiccup for dear life, squeezing the breath out of him.** _

Astrid pales, watching her image hanging on for dear life. She was flying! _Vikings don't fly!_

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Toothless! What is wrong with you?!**  
**Bad dragon!**  
**(mortified; to Astrid)**  
**He's not usually like this. Oh**  
**No...**

"'Oh no'! What do you mean 'Oh no'!?"

_**Toothless ROLLS and PLUMMETS toward the coastline far below.** _  
_**Astrid SCREAMS.** _  
_**Toothless rockets over the ocean waves, deliberately dipping** _  
_**them in the froth.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Toothless, what are you doing?!**  
**We need her to like us!**

_**Toothless rockets skyward and begins tumbling head over tail.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**And now the spinning. Thank you for**  
**nothing you useless reptile.**

Toothless gives an amused chortle. It was fun watching other humans other than his Hiccup freak out. He'd like to see Hiccup do the same as well, but it seemed his human was already too used to flight for it. _Too bad..._

_**Astrid clamps her hand over her eyes.** _

**ASTRID**  
**Okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Just**  
**get me off of this thing.**

_'There you go,'_ Toothless huffs.

_**Astrid is defeated, her aggressive energy gone. Satisfied,** _  
_**Toothless relents.** _  
_**They level off and head up into the clouds. Astrid opens her** _  
_**eyes again, and looks out over a world she'd never dreamed** _  
_**of. She reaches out and touches clouds, pierces columns** _  
_**ablaze in golden hues, and floats over a vast, alien sky-** _  
_**scape. Her terror is replaced by wonder. She grins, despite** _  
_**herself.** _  
_**Toothless rises above a blanket of clouds...** _

_**DISSOLVE TO:** _

_**EXT. SKY - NIGHT** _

_**...and levels off under a starry sky. They emerge from a** _  
_**blanket of clouds under the dancing Northern Lights,** _  
_**shimmering in ribbons across the vast sky.** _  
_**Below them, Berk's torches flicker in the inky darkness. The** _  
_**new perspective is breathtaking.** _  
_**Astrid tucks her arms into Hiccup's vest, burying her chin** _  
_**into his shoulder. The moment is not lost on either of them.** _  
_**Hiccup smiles nervously.** _  
_**Toothless climbs past Berk's tallest peaks and heads out over** _  
_**open water, leaving the village lights behind them.** _

Vikings all around look at the view with a similar expression as Astrid's. This was what they were missing out on? Not only the teenagers (yes, Astrid was finally convinced that she wanted a dragon) wanted one, even adult Vikings wanted dragons.

Stoick found himself getting closer and closer to the edge. Soon, he himself would come to accept dragons. He could tell. He was just holding back for a while...

But meanwhile, he enjoyed the view of his village. Safe.

**ASTRID**  
**Alright I admit it. This is pretty**  
**cool. It's... amazing.**  
**(BEAT)**  
**He's amazing.**

_'You betcha I am,'_ Toothless agreed, holding his head a bit higher.

"Sure sure," Hiccup shook his head playfully.

_**Astrid carefully reaches down and pats Toothless' side.** _

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**So what now?**

_**Hiccup groans. It's a problem without an answer.** _

The real Hiccup groans as well. He couldn't run away _now_! Astrid was starting to like him and would probably try to stop him. That, or tell the village about dragons. Either way, it didn't look good...

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**Hiccup, your final exam is**  
**tomorrow. You know you're going to**  
**have to kill...**  
**(WHISPERED)**  
**... kill a dragon.**

**HICCUP**  
**Don't remind me.**

_**A strange, unearthly din approaches. Toothless' ear plates** _  
_**suddenly stand on end. Panicked, he abruptly dives, dipping** _  
_**into cloud cover.** _

"Whoa, what?" Hiccup questions.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Toothless! What's happening? What**  
**is it?**

_**Toothless BARKS at him. 'Quiet!'** _  
_**Suddenly, out of the dense cloud, a Monstrous Nightmare** _  
_**Emerges.** _

They pale. What was happening?

The dragons themselves are uncomfortable. The Red Queen would not be happy if two humans appeared, especially when she could not eat them...

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Get down!**

_**Hiccup and Astrid duck. The Nightmare calls out. A Zippleback** _  
_**appears to the other side of Toothless, boxing him in.** _

Murmurs start all around.

**ASTRID**  
**What's going on?**

**HICCUP**  
**I don't know.**  
**(BEAT)**  
**Toothless. You've got to get us out**  
**of here, bud.**

_**Toothless HISSES.** _

"Toothless?" Hiccup asks. Toothless was not aggressive (rebellious, yes. A pain, pretty much, But aggressive? To him? No...)

_**Other dragons, previously invisible in the thick clouds,** _  
_**appear all around them. HUNDREDS of them, all carrying fish** _  
_**and game in their talons.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(WHISPERED)**  
**It looks like they're hauling in**  
**their kill.**

_**The Zippleback eyes them ravenously.** _

Astrid synchronizes with her screen.

**ASTRID**  
**What does that make us?**

_I knew it_ , thought Stoick. He should have never trusted a dragon with his son. He turned to find Hiccup clutching the Night Fury with worry. Stoick narrowed his eyes. By the end of today, he would kill that dragon.

_**The dragons BANK and dive in formation, plummeting through** _  
_**the thickening fog and weaving between towering, craggy sea** _  
_**stacks.** _  
_**They emerge at the base of a massive volcanic caldera,** _  
_**glowing with rivulets of lava. The flock of dragons fall into** _  
_**rank, funneling through a crack, and zipping through a** _  
_**winding tunnel.** _  
_**It gives way to a vast, steamy inner chamber, tiered with** _  
_**pocky shelves. Dragons of all breeds lay about, nested in** _  
_**hordes.** _  
_**The arriving dragons fly in, dropping the fish and game into** _  
_**a central pit, glowing red and shrouded in mist.** _  
_**Hiccup is amazed.** _

All thoughts of violence towards Toothless left Stoick's mind, replaced by other similarly violent thoughts. This was it. It was the nest.

"They found the nest," he said aloud. And now he knew how to get to it. He smiled grimly, determined to find the perfect dragon to lead them there. The Night Fury would do, right?

**HICCUP**  
**What my dad wouldn't give to find**  
**This.**

There was a small amount Stoick wouldn't give, that was true. Vikings agreed everywhere, nodding warily.

_**Toothless peels away from the procession, landing on a small** _  
_**shadowy shelf to keep a low-profile.** _  
_**Hiccup and Astrid peek around, taking in the busy hive of** _  
_**sorts. They watch as the food continues to be dropped into** _  
_**the pit.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**It's satisfying to know that all of**  
**our food has been dumped down a**  
**Hole.**

The vikings glare at the screen. Why was their food being thrown down an empty hole? That was just insulting.

**ASTRID**  
**They're not eating any of it.**

_**Last to arrive is a dim-witted Gronckle. It hovers over the** _  
_**pit and regurgitates his paltry contribution - a pathetic** _  
_**little fish. As it falls into the steamy pit, a terrible ROAR** _  
_**rings out.** _

Some gasp, not recognizing the roar of that dragon.

_**The Gronckle tries to flee, but before it can, a gargantuan** _  
_**dragon head juts from the steamy pit and SNAPS it out of the** _  
_**air. Swallowing it back whole.** _  
_**Hiccup and Astrid recoil, terrified.** _

And everyone else recoils with them.

"What the _Hel_ was that!?" Snotlout would have jumped out of his seat if he could.

"That thing was big!"

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**What is that?**

_**The monstrous beast SNIFFS the air, seemingly aware of them.** _  
_**It nears the ledge where Toothless is hiding... and ROARS.** _  
_**Several dragons take flight in fear.** _

"Okay. I know I've said this before but...we're dead," Hiccup does what he would usually do when in a terrifying situation. He tries to hide the fear and makes a remark.

**HICCUP**  
**Alright buddy, we gotta get out of**  
**here. Now!**

_**Toothless takes flight, barely evading the monster's snapping** _  
_**jaws.** _  
_**The behemoth dragon lunges for them, snatching a Zippleback** _  
_**out of the air instead.** _  
_**Toothless disappears into the winged exodus as thousands of** _  
_**dragons flee the caldera in fear.** _

The dragons all groan in terror, and a few in mourning.

"If that Zippleback hadn't been there," Astrid started.

"We'd be dead," Hiccup finished with a grim realization. He could have died. And the scariest part would have been that nobody would've known.

**EXT. HIDDEN COVE - NIGHT - LATER**

_**Toothless glides into the cove and touches down on the** _  
_**moonlit beach.** _

**ASTRID**  
**(her mind reeling, talking**  
**Hiccup's ear off)**  
**No, no, it totally makes sense.**  
**It's like a giant beehive. They're**  
**the workers... and that's their**  
**queen. It controls them.**  
**She leaps off of Toothless and runs toward the village.**

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**Let's find your dad.**

"What, no! Are you crazy?" Hiccup starts in his seat.

"What's wrong with that idea?" Stoick asks, offended that his son wouldn't tell him about the nest, something he knew he'd been looking for for way too long.

"You know very well what would happen. You'll-" he cuts himself off, realizing he was yelling. "You'll kill Toothless."

"That's what you care about? Your dragon? Not the three-hundred years vikings have spent looking for that nest?" Stoick almost yelled in a gruff voice (but considering his usual voice, it sounded like a yell in Hiccup's ears).

Hiccup looked at him. He looked like he would back down for a second (after all, this was his _father_!) but determination touched his eyes at the last second. He looked up unflinching to stare his father in the eye.

"Yes."

The movie un-paused, and Hiccup turned away from his shocked father and ignored the stunned stares he was receiving. Toothless was smiling _(that's a smile, right?)_ to himself.

**HICCUP**  
**No, no! Not yet. They'll... kill**  
**Toothless.**  
**(BEAT)**

**(MORE)**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Astrid, we have to think this**  
**through carefully.**

_**Astrid eyes him, incredulous.** _

**ASTRID**  
**Hiccup, we just discovered the**  
**dragons' nest...the thing we've**  
**been after since Vikings first**  
**sailed here. And you want to keep**  
**it a secret? To protect your pet**  
**dragon? Are you serious?**

_**Hiccup stands firm, resolute.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Yes.**

_**Astrid's taken aback.** _

"Deja Vu," Clara says. Nobody other than Zero knows what it means, but given the recent events, they could guess.

"All vikings think alike, I guess," Hiccup thought aloud.

"Not all of them," Clara smiled at him.

 _Am I a viking, though_ , Hiccup began to wonder.

**ASTRID**  
**Okay.**  
**(BEAT)**  
**Then what do we do?**

**HICCUP**  
**Just give me until tomorrow. I'll**  
**figure something out.**

"You better," Astrid said. "I don't usually submit to anyone's pleas."

"I'm honored," He smirked.

**ASTRID**  
**Okay.**

_**Astrid PUNCHES Hiccup in the arm.** _

The twins and Snotlout snort. Even Fishlegs allows himself a smile. It's always violence with Astrid.

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**That's for kidnapping me.**

_**Hiccup looks to Toothless for support. Toothless SNORTS,** _  
_**Dismissive.** _

"Seriously? _Now_ you decide it's okay if I get abused?"

Toothless snorts dismissively. It was _very_ different when they shared a mutual attraction.

_**Astrid grabs him. He braces for another hit. She KISSES** _  
_**Hiccup on the cheek.** _

Hiccup gapes and Toothless croons smugly. Astrid herself is blushing. Seriously, thank Odin she was in the front row where nobody could see her!

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**That's for, everything else.**

_**In the awkward wake of the moment, Astrid hurries off...** _  
_**leaving Hiccup RUBBING his cheek, stunned.** _  
_**Toothless hobbles up, eyeing him.** _

**HICCUP**  
**What are you looking at?**

And they laugh. Well, Astrid is still blushing furiously and Hiccup is still gaping (with a smile sneaking its way to his lips) but otherwise, there's laughs and catcalls resounding around the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended with a nice moment. That moment, as I recall, is the calm before the storm. Some winds and harsh breezes (Convincing Astrid and finding the Red Death) the the silence that make you think ,'It should go fine right?' (the smooch) and then the storm (coming up probably not tomorrow).
> 
> Don't expect upload tomorrow. I've got to go to a football game and play because marching band is awesome like that. Sry.
> 
> Name of this chapter: stuck between "Astrid" and "Calm Before the Storm".
> 
> I'll probably use the latter. Meh.
> 
> See ya, I guess.


	11. Tornado

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Okay. You want 'Lout's reaction, you get one. It's still official despite being a day or two late.

Snotlout stared at the screen in petrified horror. Astrid had just kissed Hiccup. _Hiccup_! Granted, it was on the cheek and she'd given him a punch in the shoulder, but she _kissed_ him! Never had he been kissed by her before, yet here was Hiccup with his Night Fury having gotten a kiss. Well, the one on-screen anyways.

Snotlout's horror slowly came to halt. He considered the kiss as the on-screen Hiccup complained to his dragon for staring. It probably didn't mean much, right? He'd gotten punched a lot more often than Hiccup, so he should be proud of that, right? _Sure, no after-math kiss, but still..._

Sighing, the buff boy started to clap (softly and slowly, trying to be as disrespectful as possible) and gave a fake "yay". He wasn't happy, but he wasn't about to complain. Nobody liked a jealous Viking.

* * *

_**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY** _

_**The grounds have been transformed. Banners and flags flap in** _  
_**the morning sun. Surrounding the ring, a festive crowd had** _  
_**gathered. All of Berk has turned out for the event.** _

**STOICK**  
**(aloud to the crowd)**  
**Well, I can show my face in public**  
**Again.**

Leave it to Stoick to ruin the moment. Not that they wouldn't have agreed if they hadn't known about the adventure Hiccup had with his dragon.

_**LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**(PLAYFUL)**  
**If someone had told me that in a**  
**few short weeks, Hiccup would go**  
**from being, well... Hiccup, to**  
**placing first in dragon training...**  
**I would've tied him to a mast and**  
**shipped him off for fear he'd gone**  
**mad. Yes! And you know it!**

Hiccup narrows his eyes. He knew it alright. Still, it felt better to be angry than to let the comment sting his ego yet again.

**(BEAT)**  
**But here we are. And no one's more**  
**surprised...**

_**ON HICCUP standing at the entrance to the ring, listening,** _  
_**looking burdened.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**... or more proud than I am. Today,**  
**my boy becomes a Viking. TODAY, HE**  
**BECOMES ONE OF US!**

_**CHEERS and ROARS.** _

Hiccup abruptly stops his anger. The sting won out. He sighed in regret. He would never be the boy his father wanted him to be...

_**Astrid approaches Hiccup.** _

**ASTRID**  
**Be careful with that dragon.**

"S'not the dragon I'm worried about," Hiccup said half-heartedly.

Stoick looks at him. His son was not worried about the dragon. Of course he wouldn't be. _But, what_ is _he worried about?_

Stoick was the only one to question this.

**HICCUP**  
**(re: the roaring crowd)**  
**It's not the dragon I'm worried**  
**about.**

**ASTRID**  
**(WORRIED)**  
**What are you going to do?**

**HICCUP**  
**Put an end to this.**

" _How_?"

_**She eyes him, dubious.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**I have to try.**  
**(BEAT)**  
**Astrid. If something goes wrong...**  
**just make sure they don't find**  
**Toothless.**

"Nothing's going wrong!" Some people in the crowd try to give support.

Hiccup shakes his head. He was Hiccup. _Of course something will go wrong..._

**ASTRID**  
**(GRIM)**  
**I will. Just promise me it won't go**  
**Wrong.**

_**Hiccup can't. Gobber approaches.** _

**GOBBER**  
**It's time, Hiccup. Knock him dead.**

_**Hiccup puts his helmet on and enters the ring.** _

"You didn't promise," someone points out. Hiccup just shakes his head. He can't.

Toothless doesn't approve and grumbles. Of course it would be alright. _Right?_

**ON THE TEENS**  
**HOOTING and HOLLERING from the stands.**

**TUFFNUT**  
**Show 'em how it's done, my man!**

_**Hiccup locks eyes with Stoick. Stoick nods with a smile.** _  
_**Hiccup returns a half-smile. Takes a deep breath.** _  
_**He hoists a shield onto his forearm and selects his weapon** _  
_**from a rack of many - a small dagger.** _

**STOICK**  
**(MUTTERED)**  
**Hrmph. I would've gone for the**  
**Hammer.**

"Of course you would," Hiccup manages to keep his sarcasm even at this time (then again, these times might be the highlights of his dry humor).

_**Hiccup turns to face a bolted, heavy door. Takes a deep** _  
_**breath.** _

**HICCUP**  
**I'm ready.**

A squeal is unsuccessfully suppressed by Clara. The Vikings themselves are nervous.

_**The door bolt is raised. The crowd grows quiet...** _  
_**Beat.** _  
_**BOOM! The doors blast open with a stream of sticky fire.** _

They flinch when the nightmare comes out.

_**Followed by a Monstrous Nightmare, coated in flames. It tears** _  
_**out of its cave like an irate bull - as the crowd roars and** _  
_**jeers.** _  
_**It climbs the walls and chain enclosure like a bat, hissing** _  
_**at the provoking crowd and blasting fire.** _

Some men smile at themselves, despite the fire they're avoiding.

_**It spots Hiccup and descends, leering and licking the flaming** _  
_**drool from its lips.** _

Even at this point, Hiccup doesn't trust himself. He shivers at the image of him so close to a creature, just like the one that almost killed him at the beginning of the movie.

_**The crowd grows silent, bracing for the big fight.** _  
_**With the Monstrous Nightmare's eyes locked upon him, Hiccup** _  
_**deliberately drops his shield and dagger stepping away from** _  
_**them. The dragon pauses, confused.** _

Hiccup eyes himself, determined. _Good._

The Vikings however are stunned. What was he doing? Surely he wouldn't try to tame a _Monstrous Nightmare_ of all things!

_**ON STOICK, also confused.** _

**STOICK**  
**What is he doing?**

_**The dragon presses closer, snorting. Hiccup extends his open** _  
_**hand. It snarls.** _

_This will definitely go wrong_ , Stoick thought. It was a _Nightmare_! One of the most dangerous beasts out there! The Night Fury was unpredictable, but this dragon was sure to attack! He stared at the screen intensively, waiting for the moment his son would die with dread.

Hiccup was still determined.

The teens were expectant.

Vikings were worried.

The dragons were just as expectant as the teens. All but Toothless, who was just as worried as the Vikings, but not quite as tense as Stoick. He could trust Hiccup not to kill himself (despite what the film had so far told him on Hiccup's ability to attract danger) right?

**HICCUP**  
**(WHISPERED)**  
**It's okay. It's okay.**

_**The dragon continues to pace, focused on... HICCUP'S HELMET.** _

The Vikings keep staring at the screen, waiting.

Hiccup however raises his brows in surprise. Was the nightmare looking at his helmet? _Oh_. Of course. It meant he was a Viking after all, something he'd never truly been before receiving it.

_Something I'll never be once I take it off..._

_**Hiccup realizes, then reaches up and removes it. Taking a** _  
_**breath to acknowledge the point of no return, he tosses the** _  
_**helmet aside. It hits the ground.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**I'm not one of them.**

The Vikings don't see it as a correct step, and start their own murmuring and gasping. _'Not one of them'_? What did that mean? Was he not a viking?

 _No, probably not_ , most realize. _Or maybe he's just a different kind of viking_ , they hope.

Stoick isn't sure how to feel at the sudden event. Pained? Relieved that the dragon would probably (that damned ' _probably_ ') not kill him? Angry because his own flesh and blood decided he'd stop being a viking?

The dragons were proud to say the least. Maybe they'd all come to like Hiccup a little more than they should like a viking, but knowing he wasn't one only made them happy. Vikings were bad after all, but Hiccup wasn't a viking. Not anymore at least.

_**GASPS and MURMURS race through the crowd.** _  
_**ON STOICK, as all eyes turn to him. He's welling with upset.** _  
_**Hiccup avoids Stoick's glare and remains focused on the** _  
_**Nightmare, holding his hand out. It paces around him, calming** _  
_**Down.** _

**STOICK**  
**Stop the fight.**

"No," Hiccup says firmly, as if it was him who was taming the Nightmare **(you know what I mean)**.

**HICCUP**  
**No. I need you all to see this.**

_**The crowd gets restless.** _

The vikings in real life get just as restless, wishing they were more relenting to what Hiccup was saying to them in the movie.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**They're not what we think they are.**  
**We don't have to kill them.**

They all tense as Hiccup reaches for the snout of the dreadful dragon. Then they relax, realizing he could actually do this. He wasn't in danger. It would all end well-

**STOICK**  
**I SAID STOP THE FIGHT!**

_**Stoick whacks his hammer against the iron enclosure, rattling** _  
_**the arena with a terrible reverberating clatter.** _  
_**Spooked, the Nightmare snaps at Hiccup's outstretched hand.** _  
_**Hiccup YELPS and springs backward.** _  
_**The spell is broken. The Nightmare reacts to Hiccup's sudden** _  
_**movements and blasts another stream of fire. Hiccup SCREAMS** _  
_**and barely dives out of reach.** _

Many yell in surprise and frustration. Hiccup being among those more frustrated than surprise ( _Of course Dad would be the death of me..._ ).

Stoick's eyes widen at the realization that his son was in danger. And it was his fault...

_**EXT. COVE - CONTINUOUS** _

_**ON TOOTHLESS** _

_**His ear plates shoot up. Panic flares in his eyes.** _

Hiccup raises his brows. Why show Toothless at such a moment? He couldn't get out of that cove, so it didn't matter, right? Beside him, Toothless whimpered out his frustration, and Hiccup side-glanced to see why.

_Oh right. I'm probably gonna die._

_..._

_I'M PROBABLY GONNA DIE!_

_**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - CONTINUOUS** _

_**Hiccup scrambles around the ring. The Nightmare pursues,** _  
_**snapping and springing from ground to wall.** _  
_**Stoick pushes through the crowd, rushing to the doorway.** _

The sudden realization strikes Hiccup and the change is instantaneous. He pales greatly and starts to hyperventilate, catching both his dragon and his father's attention. They both turn to look at him. Stoick is met with a glare from a Night Fury. _'This is all your fault.'_

Stoick _wanted_ to fight back...

**STOICK**  
**Out of my way!**

**ASTRID**  
**Hiccup!**

_**Astrid wedges her axe under the arena gate and squeezes** _  
_**Through.** _

"Not you too!" Hiccup cries out.

When had he ever been afraid for the death of any viking before? He wondered slightly. Only his father's death had ever been something he dreaded...but suddenly that seemed selfish. Was it selfish to worry for only his father when he was well aware of the danger the other vikings were in.

Maybe it had been, but Hiccup lived happily (as happy as a fishbone could surrounded by extra large boys with beefy arms could be). But he only wondered this briefly, taking only a second to think about it before seeing Toothless on screen once again.

_**EXT. COVE - CONTINUOUS** _

_**Toothless bounds to the cove walls, clawing them in** _  
_**desperation. It seems he's as trapped as before, but with an** _  
_**incredible BURST of effort he HOOKS a claw over the upper lip** _  
_**of the stone wall.** _

"I-" Hiccup finds himself at a loss of words. His dragon _did_ get out. He should be glad, right? He was going to live...at the expense of his best friend fighting a terribly monstrous creature at least twice his size.

He decided he didn't want to be saved after all. "No, Toothless!" Hiccup cried out.

Said dragon ignored him, giddy that he'd be able to save his human from any threat. Taking down a Nightmare was easy. _A Whispering Death on the other hand..._

_**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - CONTINUOUS** _

_**A narrow stream of fire narrowly avoids Hiccup as he** _  
_**continues to dash around the ring, evading the Monstrous** _  
_**Nightmare. Desperate, he goes to the weapon rack in an** _  
_**attempt to arm himself, but the Nightmare quickly destroys** _  
_**the rack and closes in on him.** _

Despite himself, Hiccup cries out. He decided he didn't want to be saved after all, but he never decided he didn't want to live. Life still held so many things, especially with flying.

_**EXT. COVE - CONTINUOUS** _

_**Toothless tears through the woods, bounding like panther and** _  
_**taking to the air in short bursts.** _

Some vikings and dragons (including the onscreen Nightmare) give a sigh of relief. Toothless was coming. Their Hiccup _(suddenly everyone thought Hiccup was theirs)_ would be safe.

Zero remained poker, expressing zero amounts of emotion at a time like this in a movie, while Clara jumped in her seat. **(Soul mates after all)**

_**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - CONTINUOUS** _

_**Stoick wrenches the grated door to the arena and jumps** _  
_**through. The Monstrous Nightmare is only a few feet behind** _  
_**Hiccup. Astrid is now in the ring.** _

Hiccup didn't bother to cry out. As a matter of fact, he managed to calm himself if only a little. It was _Stoick the Vast_ after all.

_Maybe I'll live after all..._

**ASTRID**  
**Hiccup!**

_**She picks up a hammer and hurls it at the Monstrous** _  
_**Nightmare, hitting it in the head. It turns its attention to** _  
_**Astrid, and begins chasing her. Stoick raises the arena gate,** _  
_**waving her toward it.** _

_Nopenopenopenopenope_ , Hiccup wanted to convince himself that none of this was happening. Why was time going slower at this moment anyway? It was worse than when Dagur came over!

**STOICK**  
**This way!**

Hiccup refuses to look at the screen, sure that something else would go horribly wrong. Why did he have to be a hiccup?

The cry vikings give after a loud blast only assures him that he shouldn't look up.

_**Astrid makes it through, but the Nightmare BLASTS the** _  
_**doorway, cutting Hiccup off. It pounces on him and prepares** _  
_**to finish him off.** _  
_**Suddenly, a terrible roar pierces the din.** _

He wouldn't have looked up ever again, if only his dragon hadn't made his entrance.

"So much for dragon proof," he say, inevitably.

**GOBBER**  
**Night Fury! Get down!**

_**Toothless bounds over the crowd and BLASTS a hole through the** _  
_**chain enclosure. He flies through it and disappears in the** _  
_**boiling smoke.** _  
_**The Vikings rush to railings... in time to see a flurry of** _  
_**wings cutting through the dissipating smoke. Toothless and** _  
_**the Nightmare tumble into the clear, locked in a toothy,** _  
_**vicious fight. Toothless kicks the Nightmare off and plants** _  
_**himself between Hiccup and it.** _

Hiccup can't help but appreciate his dragon. Why had he ever thought his Night Fury would get beat by a Nightmare?

But a Nightmare could get beat by vikings, and that's what were surrounding them at that very moment...

_**The Nightmare snarls, circling them. Toothless lunges and** _  
_**ROARS... causing the Nightmare to relent and back away.** _

"Come on Toothless, get out of there," Hiccup urges the Night Fury on the screen.

_**To everyone's shock and horror, Hiccup gets to his feet and** _  
_**grabs Toothless protectively.** _

**HICCUP**  
**(PANICKED)**  
**Alright, Toothless, go. Get out of**  
**here!**

_**The crowd is gob-smacked, growing livid.** _

**VIKINGS**  
**Night Fury!**

_**Hiccup tries to shoo Toothless away in vain. Vikings begin** _  
_**pouring clambering through the enclosure and dropping into** _  
_**the ring.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Go! GO!**

**VIKING**  
**Take it alive!**

_**Stoick grabs an axe and charges into the arena. Astrid calls** _  
_**out to him, panicked.** _

**ASTRID**  
**Stoick no!**

**HICCUP**  
**Dad! No! He won't hurt you!**

_**The other Vikings surround and attack Toothless. He tosses** _  
_**them aside like rag dolls, his eyes focused on Stoick.** _

"No, stop," Hiccup cries out in vain **(he's talking to a screen...)** "You're only making it worse. He's just trying to protect me!"

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**No, don't! You're only making it**  
**worse!**

_**Stoick raises his hammer as he charges for Toothless.** _  
_**Toothless ducks and pounces on him. They tumble end over end.** _

"Stop!" Hiccup yells. Next to him, Toothless tries to comfort him just as Hiccup yells onscreen.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Toothless! STOP!**

_**He pins Stoick and inhales. The familiar hiss of gas builds.** _  
_**Everyone braces...** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**NO!**

The voice of both the real Hiccup and the one onscreen synchronize, and Stoick doesn't feel as stoic as he usually does. Was he going to die at the hands **(claws?)** of his son's best friend (he acknowledged it, he just didn't like it) right in front of his son?

_**Toothless swallows back the blast and turns to Hiccup, not** _  
_**understanding.** _

Before Hiccup can sigh with relief, the vikings on screen make him cry out, yet again. He couldn't take anymore of it. There he was, powerless to help out his one and only friend (was Astrid a friend or an accomplice?) while he got attacked. He buried himself into his dragon's scales, afraid to look anymore.

**VIKING**  
**Get him!**

_**The crowd rushes him, piling on, and taking Toothless down.** _  
_**Astrid holds Hiccup back.** _

**HICCUP**  
**(DESPERATE)**  
**No! Please...just don't hurt him.**  
**Please don't hurt him.**

The vikings are too ashamed to look at Hiccup, not needing to view him to know he was heartbroken (of course, his pleas to let Toothless go were helpful). They watched the screen, feeling the new yet familiar feeling they'd acquired only a while ago: guilt.

_**Stoick gets to his feet, fuming, shaken. A Viking presents** _  
_**Stoick with an axe. He eyes Toothless a moment, then pushes** _  
_**the axe back into the Viking's hands.** _

Even Stoick is relieved that he didn't kill Toothless. What would he tell his son, who still didn't dare to look up.

Toothless whimpers, watching himself get man-handled by the vikings, powerless to stop whatever fate would ever come to Hiccup.

**STOICK**  
**Put it with the others!**

_**His burning glare turn to Hiccup.** _

_**INT. GREAT HALL - DAY** _

_**ON HICCUP** _  
_**Being shoved into the dank, dimmed hall.** _

They wince, and Toothless growls. Not even his father had the right to mistreat his Hiccup like that.

Meanwhile, Stoick is trying to remember any time he'd ever treated Hiccup like that. No times came to mind, and he regretted that a first ever had to come.

And with the rowdy noises of vikings fighting a Night Fury gone, Hiccup finally looked up, just in time to see himself on the floor. Was he pushed down? Couldn't have been. _Dad has never..._

 _Then again, I trained a dragon._ Maybe he deserved it after all. He made no comment of it and watched the scene.

_**SLAM! The massive doors rattle and echo. Stoick pushes past** _  
_**him. He paces against a backdrop of shadowy tapestries and** _  
_**carved pillars - a legacy of heroes, all peering down in** _  
_**angered judgement.** _

**STOICK**  
**I should have known. I should have**  
**seen the signs.**

"Signs?" Hiccup asked, but asked nothing else. He could ask later.

**HICCUP**  
**Dad.**

**STOICK**  
**We had a deal!**

"A forced one," Hiccup grumbles, glaring at the screen half-heartedly. _Still a deal..._

_**Stoick pauses to say something, but stops short. He SNORTS** _  
_**and resumes pacing, repeating the cycle.** _

**HICCUP**  
**(FLUSTERED)**  
**I know we did... but that was**  
**before... ughh, it's all so messed**  
**up.**

**STOICK**  
**So everything in the ring. A**  
**trick? A lie?**

_**He stomps toward Hiccup. Stops short and points, fighting** _  
_**back words.** _

**HICCUP**  
**I screwed up. I should have told**  
**you before now. Take this out on**  
**me, be mad at me, but please...**  
**just don't hurt Toothless.**

"Please," he adds, as if it would change anything. The vikings give him sad looks and the dragons do the same.

Astrid turns back around, but not before noticing Clara's lip was trembling, despite the pink-haired girl biting it. Was she going to cry?

 _Toothless is going to die after all_ , Astrid almost feels like crying herself.

**STOICK**  
**The dragon? That's what you're**  
**worried about? Not the people you**  
**almost killed?!**

"He was protecting me!" Hiccup yells, almost angry. None of them had even been close to dying! Toothless however, had been surrounded by the most vicious type of man he knew: Vikings.

 _'I'm not one of them,_ ' he remembered saying.

He wasn't. Hiccup glared at the screen.

**HICCUP**  
**He was just protecting me! He's not**  
**dangerous.**

**STOICK**  
**They've killed HUNDREDS OF US!**

**HICCUP**  
**And we've killed THOUSANDS OF THEM!**  
**They defend themselves, that's all!**  
**They raid us because they have to!**  
**If they don't bring enough food**  
**back, they'll be eaten themselves.**  
**(BEAT)**  
**There's something else on their**  
**island dad...it's a dragon like-**

_**Stoick HUFFS.** _

**STOICK**  
**-Their island?**

_**He stomps back... pointing an accusing finger.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**So you've been to the nest.**

"No..." _I just made a big mistake, didn't I?_

**HICCUP**  
**Did I say nest?**

_**Hiccup goes silent - he said too much.** _

**STOICK**  
**How did you find it?!**

Hiccup pales, as do many vikings in the crowd. If Stoick knew where that thing was...

**HICCUP**  
**No... I didn't. Toothless did.**  
**Only a dragon can find the island.**

_**Stoick GLARES. A moment passes, then an idea takes form on** _  
_**his face. His eyes flare. Hiccup watches, realizing. Stoick** _  
_**stomps toward the doorway.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Oh no. No, Dad. No.**

_**Hiccup chases after him, panicked.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Dad. It's not what you think. You**  
**don't know what you're up against.**  
**It's like nothing you've ever seen.**

_**He grabs Stoick by the arm, tugging with all his might. He** _  
_**has no effect whatsoever.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Dad. Please. I promise you that you**  
**can't win this one.**

_**Nothing.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**No. Dad. No. For once in your life,**  
**WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST LISTEN TO**  
**ME?!**

Some give out a cry. If there was a time when Hiccup had to be listened to (and and hour or so ago they'd realize he was worth listening to at any time) it was now! _How could a father be so cruel to his son_ , some even thought.

They inhale deeply, even Hiccup and Stoick, with the next action Stoick does.

_**He throws Hiccup off of him, SWATTING him to the floor.** _  
_**Icy stillness. Hiccup stares back, stunned.** _

"You've never-" Hiccup can't speak, stunned. He knew he should be mad, right? He was trying to protect them after all, but he was just being ignored again.

**STOICK**  
**You've thrown your lot in with**  
**them. You're not a Viking.**  
**(BEAT)**  
**You're not my son.**

And he stands up. He can't stay next to this man anymore. He's not a viking. He knew that.

And now he had no father.

Hiccup led himself to the first row, seating himself next to Astrid and refusing to cry. He tries to make himself smaller by sitting with his knees close to his chest and hides his face between them.

Astrid puts a hand on his back, but he ignores it. He doesn't ignore the smooth scales that appear next to him seconds later, and starts petting Toothless. It was somewhat of a comfort...

Stoick tries to stand up too, but he can't. "How did he..." He looks to Clara for clarification, but she refuses to look at him.

"I never liked that scene," she says softly, but loud enough for Stoick to hear. He crumbles on the inside.

The Vikings are looking at the screen, heartbroken themselves, but they don't cry. Only one person in the room had the right to cry at the moment.

Other than the movie and the dragons' rough breathing, the room was silent.

_**Stoick pushes through the door, leaving Hiccup alone,** _  
_**devastated.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**(CALLING OUT)**  
**Ready the ships!**

_**EXT. GREAT HALL - CONTINUOUS** _

_**Stoick staggers on the steps, breaking inside.** _

The vikings and dragons raise their brows in surprise. Maybe _two_ people had a right to cry. They were just too stubborn to do it.

Hiccup doesn't lift his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tornado! I was just re-reading this chapter and decided: 'Hey! Why not just keep going with the storm references?' It's a turmoil of feelings in the end of the chapter, so I'm guessing the Nightmare Exam was the starting rain and the tornado was Stoick disowning Hiccup(?).
> 
> Either that or a 'Flood', but I forgot what analogy I was gonna use for that, so tornado it is. Chapter title: Tornado.
> 
> BTW: Sorry I've taken so long to upload. I meant to do it today in the morning (it's Saturday! Yay!), but I had Zumba classes and had to stay over at a friend's house till five. Good news is; it was a longer chapter. Long-ish. I dunno.
> 
> See ya, I guess


	12. Something Crazy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good Morning! Well, actually it's noon now. 12:30. Darn. I've been editing for a full hours. Sad. So, I found that one chapter I'd forgotten to edit! :) This one!
> 
> Sorry my dear guest. I has no idea what you're talking about, but I can no change script. Or I choose not to. I've gone over this. This was the final draft and I don't wanna change it (like I didn't change the 'Meet the Neighbors' part). They're still only watching the movie, so they react to only that. Anything in the script that isn't in the movie they ignore and anything not mentioned in script, I add or they react to while you guyz just assume they see it.
> 
> I've seen the movie various times. I can quote most of it just as much as Jack's monologue on Rise of the Guardians. No need to re-watch anything. My mom gets annoyed when I watch it 3-4 times a day (I've actually done that before... Who's with me!?)
> 
> I like this (long-ish) chapter. It's a lot of character study from viking and dragon povs. They're great. Again, some of these things they could have realized only if they saw the movie. Realize that their attitudes are very obviously different from the series. Tch. Sad. Ah well.
> 
> It's illegal for Clara and Zero to be doing this, so unless Clara can sweet-talk Zero into letting them see the series and other movie(s?) their going to have to go back rather anti-climatically.
> 
> Longer-ish chapter!

_**EXT. DOCKS/OPEN SEA - DAY** _

_**Broken-down catapults and trebuchets are bundled up and** _  
_**lowered from the cliffs.** _  
_**Below on the docks, Vikings load the heavy artillery into the** _  
_**hulls of awaiting ships. Children and the elderly gather to** _  
_**on the walkways to wave apprehensive farewells to the** _  
_**departing warriors.** _  
_**Lastly, Toothless is loaded aboard Stoick's ship, chained** _  
_**down to a palette, muzzled, and restrained with a weighty** _  
_**neck ring. He looks exhausted, miserable.** _

At the sound of a new scene, Hiccup looks up, only to feel his heart break. They were preparing to leave.

Toothless, all those vikings...even his dad. The ties he'd held with them were gone. They'd never been strong ties, but they were there for sure. He of course, refused to believe he cared for them and instead told himself he just didn't want their deaths on his hands (he was the one who told Stoick about the nest after all).

_**Stoick crosses to the bow as the ship pushes off and joins** _  
_**the amassed armada of ships adrift in the harbor.** _  
_**Stoick's brow is furrowed, all warmth drained away. He turns** _  
_**west and glares at the horizon with cold determination.** _

**STOICK**  
**Set sail! We head for Helheim's**  
**Gate.**

_**He then notices HICCUP watching from his familiar cliff-side** _  
_**perch beyond the village. Their eyes meet, full of hurt and** _  
_**regret. Hiccup slowly shakes his head in warning.** _

"Don't do it," Hiccup states out verbally, as if it could make a difference.

_**Stoick breaks the stare and turns to Toothless, fuming.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**Lead us home, Devil.**

Hiccup glares at his father (onscreen). Toothless was many things. Stubborn, spoiled, mischievous, etc. The list of bad attributes could go on, but he was definitely no devil. Everyone in the room could testify. Subconsciously, he put his arm around the Night Fury, almost protectively.

_**ON HICCUP** _  
_**Watching. He's powerless to stop what is happening, but won't** _  
_**leave.** _

The vikings start to wonder if they would've been strong enough to watch like Hiccup was doing, had it been their own loved-one. Wouldn't anybody else run away crying or hide hoping this was all a dream.

(Because defying the chief still seemed somewhat unlikely)

_**DISSOLVE TO:** _

_**EXT. CLIFFS - LATER** _

_**ON HICCUP** _  
_**Still standing there. The ships have cleared the horizon.** _  
_**CRANE UP to reveal Astrid is standing behind him. She** _  
_**approaches cautiously and stands beside him in silence.** _

"How long have you _been_ there?" Astrid asks. Hiccup shrugs, discouraged.

**ASTRID**  
**It's a mess.**

_**Hiccup doesn't respond.** _

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**You must feel horrible. You've lost**  
**everything. Your father, your**  
**tribe, your best friend.**

They wince. That was a way of summing things up.

"Thanks," Hiccup draws out, the familiar (and now comforting for them all) sarcasm coming out. An attribute they definitely had to admire if he could use it at a time like this.

**HICCUP**  
**Thank you for summing that up.**

Some even managed to chuckle half-heartedly.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Why couldn't I have killed that**  
**dragon when I found him in the**  
**woods. It would have been better**  
**for everyone.**

Toothless does not approve. _And miss out on Hiccup_ (subconsciously, he wonders if he should have been mad because his human thought it would have been better if he'd died) _?_

Hiccup almost laughs. _'Killed that dragon'_. He couldn't even hurt a fly. The dragon should have killed him if this were to be avoided. No more embarrassing son for Stoick, the village wouldn't be sailing to their certain death, forcing Toothless to come with them...

**ASTRID**  
**Yep. The rest of us would have done**  
**it.**

Better yet, he should have been a stillborn. That way Toothless would still be able to fly, Stoick wouldn't have had an embarrassing son at all, and the village would have won so many raids (no matter how the thought of innocent dragons dying disgusted him).

**(BEAT)**  
**So why didn't you?**

Hiccup was snapped out of his thought at the question. Why hadn't he?

He turns to Toothless, and finds the dragon staring at him curiously.

Why hadn't they killed each other?

_**Hiccup just shakes his head - he really doesn't know.** _  
_**Astrid's eyes glimmer. She wants something.** _

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**Why didn't you?**

**HICCUP**  
**I don't know. I couldn't.**

**ASTRID**  
**That's not an answer.**

Hiccup doesn't comment, still trying to figure out why. It was suddenly important to him. As if it could justify why he was alive. Something to disprove his thoughts on how it would all have been better if he were dead.

**HICCUP**  
**(BECOMING IRATE)**  
**Why is this so important to you all**  
**of a sudden?**

**ASTRID**  
**Because I want to remember what you**  
**say right now.**

Astrid looks at the screen determined. Hiccup had something. It was something that made him different from everyone else, not just his physical or even his mentality that closed in on Fishlegs' intelligence.

**HICCUP**  
**(angry, loud)**  
**Oh for the love of - I was a**  
**coward! I was weak. I wouldn't kill**  
**a dragon.**

Hiccup stops for a second. He wouldn't kill a dragon...

**ASTRID**  
**You said 'wouldn't' that time.**

**HICCUP**  
**(BLOWS UP)**  
**Whatever! I wouldn't! Three hundred**  
**years and I'm the first Viking who**  
**wouldn't kill a dragon!**

Why _wouldn't_ he kill a dragon? He established he wasn't a viking. This just proved it more.

_**A BEAT.** _

**ASTRID**  
**First to ride one, though.**

_**Hiccup blinks. He never looked at it that way before.** _

Hiccup imitates his screen self, looking at the real Astrid. He had been the first one to ride it...huh. It _had_ been a rather brave act now that he thought about it.

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**So...**

_Oh._ Hiccup suddenly understood.

**HICCUP**  
**(REALIZING)**  
**...I wouldn't kill him because he**  
**looked as frightened as I was.**  
**(BEAT)**  
**I looked at him and I saw myself.**

_Of course._

**Astrid turns to face the open sea.**

**ASTRID**  
**I bet he's really frightened now.**

And he just couldn't stand for that.

**(PROVOKING)**  
**What are you going to do about it?**

So he just had to do something about it. He couldn't let Toothless (almost himself) go back to that horrible place. At least not alone.

_**Beat.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Probably something stupid.**

_No, not that._ It was stupid to try to show the vikings that dragons could be friendly.

But when he'd let a Night Fury go...When he'd decided to befriend a dragon...

Those things weren't stupid. They were something else (that off thing about himself).

**ASTRID**  
**Good. But you've already done that.**

_How about..._

_**Another beat.** _

_Something crazy_ , Hiccup smiles at the screen, the plan suddenly very clear in his mind.

Astrid looks at him, feeling her own smile on her face. _That's more like it._ He looked better when he smiled anyway.

**HICCUP**  
**Then something crazy.**

_**Astrid smiles.** _

**ASTRID**  
**That's more like it.**

The vikings stare at the scene, flabbergasted. What could they say about Hiccup? He was... _Compassionate? Merciful? Forgiving?_ He was definitely not a coward, and it saddened them that he seemed to think he was. _But..._

It wasn't everyday you realized a boy less than half your age was better than you ever thought.

Hiccup had been bullied (basically) all his life. Yet he still had the heart to save them.

He'd been merciful when when deciding not to kill Toothless. Mercy was not something they'd ever shown him.

He could understand the feelings of a dragon even! Vikings were naturally oblivious to feelings of others other than themselves. What kind of person was Hiccup? He was certainly a viking, his stubbornness and heritage were evidence.

But at heart he was something else... _what?_

 _A dragon_ , the dragons could tell easily. He had the soul of a dragon, no matter how viking-like he was on the outside (not much).

Stoick stared at the screen, unsure of the pride he felt for his son.

_**EXT. OPEN SEA/DRAGON ISLAND - DAY** _

_**The armada coasts toward a shroud of heavy fog, hung like** _  
_**drapes from a low-hanging, ominous sky.** _  
_**The ships enter, one by one. Visibility drops immediately.** _  
_**Flanking ships becomes ghosts. The armada disappears, drawn** _  
_**into the blinding mist. Complete whiteout. Nothing remains** _  
_**but the eerie creaking of wood on water.** _  
_**ON STOICK at the bow of his ship. He taps his fingers on the** _  
_**gunwale, then looks back at Toothless impatiently. Weighed** _  
_**down with chains, Toothless seems unresponsive.** _

"Toothless," Hiccup is almost immediately snapped out of his relief. His poor dragon. Said dragon nudges him with his snout to comfort him.

**STOICK**  
**Sound your positions. Stay within**  
**earshot.**

_**Shouts pour in from all directions.** _

**VIKING #1**  
**Here.**

**VIKING #2**  
**One length to your stern.**

**VIKING #3**  
**On your starboard flank.**

**VIKING #4**  
**Three widths to port.**

**VIKING #5**  
**Ahead, at your bow.**

**VIKING #6**  
**Haven't a clue.**

_**ON STOICK straining into the fog as the calls continue.** _  
_**Massive, jagged sea stacks begin to emerge, threatening to** _  
_**rip the ships to shreds.** _  
_**Gobber approaches him, speaking under his breath.** _

**GOBBER**  
**Listen... Stoick... I was**  
**overhearing some of the men just**  
**now and, well, some of them are**  
**wondering what it is we're up to**  
**here - not me of course, I know**  
**you're always the man with the plan**  
**\- but some, not me, are wondering**  
**if there is in fact a plan at all,**  
**what it might be?**

"Ha," Hiccup laughs. Trust Gobber to bring his mood back up.

**STOICK**  
**Find the nest and take it.**

**GOBBER**  
**Ah. Of course. Send them running.**  
**The old Viking fall-back. Nice and**  
**Simple.**

"Very smart," Hiccup scoffs. _Then again, vikings are typically like that, aren't they?_

**STOICK**  
**Shhh.**

The room silences.

_**Stoick notices that Toothless' ear plates are at the alert,** _  
_**quietly reacting to inaudible sounds.** _  
_**Stoick crosses to the stern of the ship and grabs the tiller,** _  
_**moving the helmsman out of the way.** _

They all look at the screen worriedly, wishing to know what Hiccup was planning.

Of course, Hiccup was still trying to figure out his chances of survival with his plan. He probably wasn't as accurate as Fishlegs would have been, but even he could tell they were low.

Maybe the crazy plan wouldn't work out after all. Still, should he take the Nightmare or the Nadder?

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**Step aside.**

_**Stoick pulls the ship into a turn, covertly following** _  
_**Toothless' head movements.** _  
_**The ship barely misses a jagged outcrop that suddenly appears** _  
_**out of the soupy fog.** _

**VIKING**  
**Bear to port.**

_**The order is called out from ship to ship.** _  
_**CRUNCH! The bow barely makes it past another sea stack.** _  
_**Stoick continues to follow Toothless' cues, undeterred.** _

The crowd is left in a tense atmosphere, even as the scene changes. But of course, Hiccup still manages to speak.

_**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY** _

_**Hiccup raises the bolt on the Monstrous Nightmare's pen.** _

"Oh, so I chose the Nightmare," Hiccup says, surprising the tense crowd.

"What? Why would you-" the teenagers start, but they're interrupted by Astrid.

"You're going to fly over to their nest, aren't you," she asks, a knowing smile on her face.

"You know me too well," Hiccup joked, then he frowned. "But how did you-"

"I think there's few crazy options available, and this one was the craziest," she stated as a matter of fact.

"Isn't that a little dangerous?" Snotlout asked, and Stoick almost subconsciously nodded (not that anyone could see him).

"And that's why you're going to help," Astrid answered, determined.

"What?"

Before she could explain, Clara un-paused the movie.

**FISHLEGS (O.S.)**  
**If you're planning on getting**  
**eaten, I'd definitely go with the**  
**Gronckle.**

"Oh."

_**Hiccup turns to see his fellow recruits, watching him with** _  
_**folded arms. Tuffnut steps forward with a scowl.** _

**TUFFNUT**  
**You were wise to seek help from the**  
**world's most deadly weapon.**  
**(BEAT)**  
**It's me.**

"Wow, Astrid..."

**HICCUP**  
**Uh...**

"You actually got them to come..."

**SNOTLOUT**  
**I love this plan.**

"I guess you're suicidal then," Hiccup stated, worrying the adults and teenagers.

**HICCUP**  
**I didn't...**

**RUFFNUT**  
**You're crazy.**  
**(SULTRY)**  
**I like that.**

Hiccup tries to hide a shudder.

**ASTRID**  
**So? What is the plan?**

_**Hiccup smiles, glowing in the support of his friends.** _

Hiccup smiles, glowing in the support of his friends in real life too. He doesn't bother to correct his use of the word "friends".

Things were finally going right again.

_I just hope we can get there on time..._

_**EXT. FOGGY SEA - DAY** _

_**The ships follow in line through the gauntlet of rocks as** _  
_**orders are whispered from ship to ship.** _  
_**A dragon head looms out of the fog. The men recoil... only to** _  
_**discover that it's a wrecked ship, impaled high on a gnarled** _  
_**sea stack.** _

"I was wondering where that went," Gobber asks, only a second before the screen imitates him.

**GOBBER**  
**Ah. I was wondering where that**  
**Went.**

_**A clicking buzz becomes audible, growing louder. It fills the** _  
_**sky, converging in one general direction. Stoick sniffs the** _  
_**air.** _

Hiccup frowns at the screen. "What do dragons smell like?" He asked, never having sensed a particularly strong odor from Toothless. He took another whiff at the air. Nope, Toothless smelled vaguely of fish, but any other viking did too.

Stoick looked at him, surprised. He hadn't thought of it before, but the room didn't smell like what he usually smelled when approaching Helheim's's Gate...

"It's probably the queen," Zero answered **(tid-bit!)** , and Clara looked at him as if never having considered the possibility. But she was a witch, right? So she'd already know...right?

**STOICK**  
**Stay low and ready your weapons.**

_**Stoick's ship suddenly JERKS to a halt as the keel burrows** _  
_**into shallow black sand.** _  
_**They flinch, before paling at the next image. They'd arrived.** _  
_**Stoick hops overboard, landing on a sprawling beach. The  
** **BUZZING suddenly STOPS. Above him, a craggy volcano towers  
** **into the gloom.** _

They glance worriedly among each other. The buzzing stopping only made this scarier.

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**We're here.**

_**Behind him, several dragon-headed bows pierce the fog.** _

_All those people_ , Hiccup paled, suddenly all too aware of what the cost of losing would be. He set his jaw and almost glared at the screen in determination. He'd die before letting that thing (he refused to think it was a dragon when dragons were so nice to him so far) destroy anything that had ever meant anything to him.

_**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - RING - DAY** _

_**Hiccup steps back from the door, drawing the Monstrous** _  
_**Nightmare out of its cave. It snorts, stepping into the ring,** _  
_**calmed by Hiccup's outstretched hand - focused on him.** _  
_**ON THE TEENS... bewildered, in awe.** _  
_**Snotlout nervously reaches for a spear laying near his foot.** _  
_**Astrid stops him.** _

**ASTRID**  
**(CORRECTING)**  
**Uh-uh.**

"Good job Astrid," Hiccup scorns the screen himself by glaring at it.

_**Hiccup slows to a stop in front of the teens, with the** _  
_**Nightmare inches from his outstretched hand.** _  
_**He reaches over and grabs Snotlout's trembling hand.** _

"Whoawhoawhoa!" Snotlout would have jumped out of his seat if he could. "What are you doin'!"

**SNOTLOUT**  
**Wait! What are you...**

**HICCUP**  
**Relax. It's okay... it's okay.**

_**Hiccup replaces his outstretched hand with Snotlout's,** _  
_**putting him in control of the massive beast. The Nightmare** _  
_**snorts, but remains calm. Snotlout, by contrast, chuckles** _  
_**nervously - it's at once terrifying and amazing.** _

Snotlout himself is mesmerized by the control he had over the nightmare. _Awesome_ , he thought.

(Said Nightmare snorted, claiming it would never stoop so low as to listen to an idiot such as the buff one. _No no. Idiot will listen to_ me)

The other teens found themselves excited. They were about to get a dragon too!

_**The others watch, spellbound.** _  
_**Hiccup turns and walks away.** _

"Hey hey! Don't leave me alone with it!"

(It looked like it would be simple enough to make Idiot listen)

**SNOTLOUT**  
**Where are you going?!**

Hiccup pulls a bundle of rope from a supply box.

**HICCUP**  
**You're going to need something to**  
**help you hold on.**

_**The teens eye each other apprehensively, and look up to** _  
_**reveal...** _  
_**ALL THE DRAGONS standing in the ring, facing the teens** _  
_**expectantly.** _

Fishlegs looked determined to get the Gronckle and Astrid was just as determined about the Nadder. You can guess that the twins started fighting over who got the Zippleback...

_**EXT. DRAGON ISLAND - DAY** _

_**CLOSE ON** _

_**Tree trunks, being sharpened and planted into the sand at** _  
_**angled rows.** _

The crowd starts to silence themselves again. They were back to _this_ dreadful scene.

_**Boulders being loaded into catapult baskets.** _  
_**And a war plan being scratched in the sand.** _  
_**STOICK looms over it, looking determined. His generals are** _  
_**at his sides.** _

**STOICK**  
**When we crack this mountain open,**  
**all hell is going to break loose.**

"You have _no_ idea," Hiccup spoke, shaking his head in disapproval and worry.

**GOBBER**  
**In my undies. Good thing I brought**  
**extras.**

Hiccup slapped the palm of his hand to his forehead.

"With _that_ mental image in my mind..."

_**Stoick TURNS to face the men.** _

**STOICK**  
**No matter how this ends, it ends**  
**today.**

"That; it does," Hiccup agreed. Either he died and the Red Death (as he'd dubbed it) killed all of them, or he would manage to take it down himself.

_**He walks toward the base of the volcano wall, back by several** _  
_**hundred warriors. He raises his arm and drops it.** _  
_**A line of catapults UNLEASH their two-ton loads into the** _  
_**cliff wall. It cracks and flakes away.** _  
_**Several more hits tear away at the hollow shell of hardened** _  
_**lava.** _

With every hit, Hiccup winces. _I hope we're hurrying it along back at Berk..._

_**A final boulder shatters the fractured wall, creating a deep,** _  
_**dark opening to the cavern within.** _  
_**Silence. Stock raises his hand, makes a gesture. A flaming** _  
_**bushel is launched into the dark, lighting the wall... CHOKED** _  
_**WITH DRAGONS.** _  
_**Stoick pulls his hammer and rushes into the cave, brazen.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**(War cries and slashing efforts)**

_**In a chaotic flurry, the dragons suddenly rush out like bats** _  
_**from a cave. The take to the air, bypassing the axe-swinging** _  
_**Vikings and fleeing the island in a mass exodus.** _  
_**The battle-ready Vikings drop their weapons, confused.** _

**GOBBER**  
**Is that it?**

"Not by a long-shot," Hiccup answers the screen.

_**Above the island, dragons POUR from every crevice, fleeing to** _  
_**the sky. The sound of screeching dragons fades.** _

**VIKINGS**  
**(Cheering as one)**

**SPITELOUT**  
**We've done it!**

_**Stoick doesn't celebrate. Something is not right. He HEARS** _  
_**something. Stoick turns to peer down the dark throat of the** _  
_**cavern.** _  
_**A deep, rumbling ROAR echoes from the cavern. The ground** _  
_**underfoot TREMBLES. The ships rock. Their sails fill with a** _  
_**blast of air.** _

They stop breathing.

_**The cheering stops. Stoick's expression sinks.** _

**STOICK**  
**This isn't over. Form your ranks!**  
**Hold together!**

_**The men SCRAMBLE to organize themselves.** _

_That's not gonna cut it._ Hiccup, the Vikings and the dragons know this.

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**Get clear!**

_**The ground CRACKS. Stone tears away, cascading like an** _  
_**avalanche. And through the settling debris, the silhouette of** _  
_**a gargantuan dragon emerges - THE RED DEATH. Stirred and** _  
_**furious.** _

**GOBBER**  
**Beard of Thor...what is that?**

"Red Death," Hiccup answers automatically, finally looking at the entirety of the creature.

They accept the name, unsure of any other befitting name to such a ghastly creature.

**STOICK**  
**(AGHAST)**  
**Odin help us.**  
**(BEAT)**  
**Catapults!**

_**The Vikings score direct hits. The burning stones BOUNCE off** _  
_**the dragon's skin. The Red Death focuses on the catapults.** _  
_**It crushes the first one - smashing it and its crew, rattling** _  
_**the beach underfoot.** _  
_**Stoick races toward the second catapult. He LEAPS and pushes** _  
_**a Viking out of the way just before the dragon crushes him** _  
_**under his forepaw.** _  
_**The Vikings scramble in all directions.** _

**VIKING #3**  
**Get to the ships!**

"No! _No!_ That's worse," Hiccup yells.

**STOICK**  
**No! NO!**

_**The Red Death BLASTS the ships like a mile-long flamethrower.** _  
_**The sails are torched. Vikings dive overboard and masts come** _  
_**down.** _  
_**Gobber Joins Stoick.** _

**GOBBER**  
**Heh. Smart, that one.**

_**Stoick looks up and down the beach for an answer.** _

**STOICK**  
**(GUILT-RIDDEN)**  
**I was a fool.**

He was. Stoick knows it. He was going to die and take the whole of Berk with him.

_**The monster raises its head to the sky and BELLOWS. The** _  
_**sound SHAKES the beach, knocking Vikings off their feet.** _  
_**This island is his.** _  
_**Stoick stops a Viking General.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**Lead the men to the far side of the**  
**island.**

**SPITELOUT**  
**Right.**  
**(turns to the others)**  
**Everybody to the far side of the**  
**island!**

_**The Vikings scatter into the rocks like ants. Satisfied with** _  
_**the ships destruction, The Red Death turns its attention back** _  
_**to the Vikings. They seem to have vanished. It SNIFFS the** _  
_**air, searching for their scent.** _  
_**Gobber drops in beside Stoick, like two soldiers in a trench.** _  
_**Fire blasts over head, causing them to duck.** _

**STOICK**  
**Gobber, go with the men.**

**GOBBER**  
**I think I'll stay, just in case**  
**you're thinking of doing something**  
**crazy.**

Clara smiles at the attribute shared by both father and son.

**Stoick grabs him.**

**STOICK**  
**(EMPHATIC)**  
**I can buy them a few minutes if I**  
**give that thing someone to hunt.**

_**Gobber removes Stoick's hand. Clenches his forearm,** _  
_**determined.** _

**GOBBER**  
**Then I can double that time.**

"No," Hiccup whispers. Both Gobber and his dad dead? "Where the _Hel_ are we!?"

_**Stoick grins. Friends to the bitter end. They BREAK COVER and** _  
_**dash into the open, SPLITTING UP. Stoick rips a sharpened** _  
_**post from the ground and hurls it into the monster's face.** _

**STOICK**  
**HERE!**

"Oh no you don't," Gobber challenges.

**GOBBER**  
**NO, HERE!**

_**It spots both of them. He fuels up to fire, glancing back and** _  
_**forth between the two men. He focuses on Stoick.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**Come on! Fight me!**

**STOICK**  
**No, me!**

_**The Red Death remains focused on Stoick - this is it. It** _  
_**rears back and inhales. Gas begins to amass, when...** _

"N-"

_**KABLAM! A BLAST explodes against the back of The Red Death's** _  
_**head. It turns distracted, as...** _  
_**... a Nadder punches through the flames, banking across the** _  
_**sky. Followed by a Monstrous Nightmare, a Zippleback, and a** _  
_**Gronckle. They roll in unison, revealing the recruits riding** _  
_**on their backs. Hiccup leads, with Astrid clinging to his** _  
_**Waist.** _

Hiccup lets out a breath, as does every other viking in the room.

_**GOBBER AND STOICK, watch slack-jawed, in awe.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Ruff, Tuff, watch your backs! Move**  
**Fishlegs!**

They quickly become aware of the fact that Hiccup was giving orders. That was...unlike him. It was unlike a dragon...

Dragons didn't give out orders. Only wretched queens and Alphas could without being reproached for it. The dragons didn't doubt for a second that the boy had the soul of a dragon... But maybe his heart was different...

_**The monster shakes off the blast and snaps in their wake.** _  
_**Hiccup directs his squadron out of harm's way. They climb out** _  
_**of reach and circle each other.** _

**TUFFNUT**  
**Look at us, we're on a dragon!**  
**We're on dragons, all of us!**

"Alright!" The twins high-fived each other.

**HICCUP**  
**Up, let's move it!**

Still so very viking-like, almost too viking-like, yet so unlike Hiccup... Or at least what they knew of Hiccup.

_**The dragons climb past the Red Death.** _

_**ON THE GROUND** _

_**Gobber hobbles over to Stoick.** _

**GOBBER**  
**Every bit the boar-headed, stubborn**  
**Viking you ever were.**

_So like Stoick!_ That's what they had been comparing him to! Boar-headed and stubborn might've been great descriptions, but there was one more that made them father and son.

_**Stoick is speechless.** _

_**IN THE AIR** _  
_**The group circles over the dragon's head.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Fishlegs, break it down.**

**FISHLEGS**  
**Okay. Heavily armored skull and**  
**tail made for bashing and crushing.**  
**(MORE)**  
**FISHLEGS (CONT'D)**  
**Steer clear of both. Small eyes,**  
**large nostrils. Relies on hearing**  
**and smell.**

**HICCUP**  
**Okay. Lout, Legs, hang in its blind**  
**spot. Make some noise, keep it**  
**confused. Ruff, Tuff, find out if**  
**it has a shot limit. Make it mad.**

**RUFFNUT**  
**That's my specialty.**

**TUFFNUT**  
**Since when? Everyone knows I'm**  
**more irritating. See.**  
**(IRRITATING SOUNDS)**

**HICCUP**  
**(EXASPERATED)**  
**Just do what I told you. I'll be**  
**back as soon as I can.**

He had the heart of a chief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .
> 
> .
> 
> .
> 
> .
> 
> Just letting you dwell in the moment for a sec.
> 
> Don't you just love how frustrated Hiccup gets at the twins? Tuff especially. Watching the series made me realize there are a lot of moments where Hiccup just pauses and sighs in frustration because Tuff just assumed something wasn't important enough to be said out loud. (Maybe that's where people got the Tuffcup from?)
> 
> Anyways. I didn't really think about continuing this on to the second movie or series, but I couldn't just not let the villagers realize something that took Valka only a few days (hours?) to realize. Then again, have you noticed how people are acting differently than how they do in the series? Watching the movie gave them more info on this whole 'Hiccup's had it hard and may be awesome' thing. In the series, they weren't as experienced. This kind of plays a big role in the last chapter (which is only about five-hundred words, so not a very big role).
> 
> Anyway: This chapter is like... I don't know. Eye of the storm? Nah. It's relatively calm, but still the entrance of full view of Red Death. Wow. Chapter name suggestions? Nah, I don't like 'em.
> 
> Ahem. How about 'Crazy'? I distinctly remember thinking 'it's stupid to show vikings change out of nowhere (you know, cause their stubborn) but it's crazy to befriend something you've been taught to hate all your life'. Crazy works for Hiccup. Stupid; not so much. Thank Thor he's crazier than he is stupid.
> 
> (Ever seen 'When Lightning Strikes'? It was really stupid to go out in a storm to test a theory on metal attracting lighting with a metal rod in your hand. Tsk. Also pretty crazy. 'Least he didn't lose another one)
> 
> Chapter name: Something Crazy :)


	13. Freedom On Its Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So tired. Hmm. I'm not a Monday person but seriously? I've never dreaded the start of yet another freshman school day like I do now... Or I did. I'm over it and have a major headache to compensate.
> 
> Like I said, I have fifteen chapters. The last chapter will be kind of optional. It's like a continuation of the whole thing or something. It will probably be used to continue to the series or the movie. But you could still read it if you want to read the ending monologue. No? Okay...

**TUFFNUT**  
**Don't worry, we got it covered!**

**FISHLEGS**  
**Yeah!**

_**Hiccup and Astrid peel away. The teens bank and dive toward** _  
_**the monster, splitting up. The Twins race alongside the** _  
_**monster's head, taunting it.** _

**TUFFNUT**  
**Troll!**

**RUFFNUT**  
**Butt Elf!**

**TUFFNUT**  
**Bride of Grendel!**

Even with the new realization of Hiccup's strange mixture of dragon and viking (which Hiccup had yet to take note of, not particularly paying attention to more than the battle onscreen), the crowd couldn't help but laugh at the twin's irritating names. It was rare that their cursed capability to annoy any living being would be helpful.

_**The Red Death unloads a spray of fire at the twins. They** _  
_**barely dodge it.** _

The crowd is too psyched to worry too much over the twin's safety, and the twins were much less preoccupied. They were on _dragons_! They'd probably been the only ones crazy enough to even think of the possibility of riding one before Hiccup actually did it (of course, in their imagination it looked more like a rodeo) so they were a lot less worried for their safety than they usually were, which was not much to begin with.

_**Fishlegs and Snotlout hang behind its eyes, banging away at** _  
_**their shields, making a racket.** _  
_**The Red Death opens all SIX of its eyes, spotting them.** _

**FISHLEGS**  
**Uh, this thing doesn't have a blind**  
**spot.**

"That's not good," Fishlegs answers himself, earning a worried glance form Snotlout.

_**ON HICCUP AND ASTRID** _  
_**... searching for Toothless. Hiccup spots him among the** _  
_**burning ships.** _

**HICCUP**  
**There!**

Hiccup sighs with relief, glad that he found his dragon and forgetting about the potential danger he was in when on a ship.

Stoick doesn't, but remains silent, praying for his son's safety.

_**He steers the Nadder over the deck and hands Astrid the** _  
_**reins. He lines up his jump... and hops off, guarding his** _  
_**face from the flames. He lands on the burning deck.** _

_'Not safe,_ ' Toothless's mind is screaming at him, knowing very well that Hiccups were not fireproof, no matter how much his father was **(refer to beginning of the movie where Stoick brushes fire off himself like nothing)**.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(TO ASTRID)**  
**Go help the others!**

_**She and the Nadder take off.** _  
_**As Hiccup fights his way to Toothless. He unbuckles the** _  
_**muzzle. Toothless shrieks.** _

Only the dragons can translate this as _'Get away!'_

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Okay, hold on. Hold on.**

_**He gets to work on the chains.** _  
_**ON SNOTLOUT AND FISHLEGS** _  
_**They clang their weapons against their shields, making the** _  
_**monster wince.** _

**SNOTLOUT**  
**It's working.**

_**The huge beast starts to sway its head dizzily.** _

**FISHLEGS**  
**Yeah! It's working.**

_**PAN DOWN to reveal that the noise is also confusing the** _  
_**Gronckle and the Monstrous Nightmare. Both dragons lose their** _  
_**Bearings.** _

"It's not working," Fishlegs' elated expression drops. Snotlout is not amused.

_**The Red Death thrashes, knocking Snotlout off of his dragon** _  
_**and onto the monster's gigantic head. Snotlout bounces across** _  
_**the top and comes to a stop just shy of the hundred foot** _  
_**drop.** _

**SNOTLOUT**  
**Agghh!**

Snotlout screams along, always aware of any danger that may come to him. He didn't notice a certain Monstrous Nightmare rolling its eyes at its future rider.

_**Fishlegs' Gronckle goes down in a spin of confusion.** _

**FISHLEGS**  
**I've lost power on the Gronckle.**  
**Snotlout! Do something!**

Clara laughs at Fishlegs' statement, and some children as well as adults accompanied her (maybe more nervously, but they laughed nonetheless).

_**He hurls Snotlout his hammer. The Gronkle crashes and skids** _  
_**to a stop...** _

**FISHLEGS (CONT'D)**  
**I'm okay!**

_**... then flips over, crushing Fishlegs.** _

**FISHLEGS (CONT'D)**  
**(FEEBLE)**  
**Less okay.**

Louder laughter (mostly from the children and Clara).

_**BACK TO SNOTLOUT** _  
_**... who eyes the Red Death's gigantic, veiny eyes. He raises** _  
_**the hammer...** _

**SNOTLOUT**  
**I can't miss!**

_**... and hammers the monster's eyes, playing whack-a-mole.** _

**SNOTLOUT (CONT'D)**  
**What's wrong buddy, got something**  
**in your eye?**

_**Astrid flies by on her Nadder, catching Snotlout in all his** _  
_**heroics.** _

**ASTRID**  
**Yeah! You're the Viking!**

_**Snotlout grins, finally vindicated in her eyes. In his** _  
_**distraction, he gets thrown and lands heavily on one of the** _  
_**Red Death's spines - clinging precariously. A close call.** _

**SNOTLOUT**  
**Whoa!**

Hiccup shakes his head. The power Astrid had over the boys in the village was too strong for their own good.

_**ON THE GROUND** _  
_**The monster's tail sweeps across the burning ships, snapping** _  
_**masts like twigs. We follow one down as it crashes onto a** _  
_**deck, revealing...  
** _

_**HICCUP  
** **Working at the chains. He can't budge them. Fire licks at his  
** **clothes. He looks up to see...  
** **THE RED DEATH blasting at the teens, enraged.  
** **The monster's giant foot crashes through frame, smashing the  
** **bow under its impressive weight.  
** **Hiccup and Toothless are thrown into the water in a maelstrom  
** **of burning planks and rigging.** _

The crowd grows frantic and almost yells at the sudden change in atmosphere. _Would they drown? No, Hiccup would live at least, right?_

_**UNDERWATER** _  
_**Hiccup swims toward Toothless. They're both caught in a mess** _  
_**of rigging, being dragged down. The heavy palette settles** _  
_**into the rocky bottom like an anchor. Toothless has stopped** _  
_**struggling. Hiccup takes one more hopeless tug at the chains -** _  
_**he's almost out of air.** _

"No," some yell. Of course he wouldn't get out of the water to breath, too caught up in saving Toothless. Of course he would forget about his on well-being to save his dear dragon. Of course, this was the perfect way for a person like Hiccup (and anyone righteous really) to die. Saving someone they love...

_**Suddenly, a meaty hand grabs Hiccup.** _

The crowd gasps. _Thank Odin!_

_**STOICK explodes to the surface, pulling Hiccup to the** _  
_**shoreline through flaming debris. He lays him down, under the** _  
_**shelter of an overhanging rock.** _

**HICCUP**  
**(OVERWHELMED)**  
**Dad...**

"But, Too-" He cuts himself off, watching his onscreen father dive back in.

_**Stoick dives back into the water between flaming flotsam.** _  
_**UNDERWATER** _  
_**ON TOOTHLESS, drowning. Stoick appears in front of him.** _  
_**Toothless freezes. Stoick tears the chains off of the yoke** _  
_**and lets it float free.** _  
_**Momentary stillness. They eye each other, through the churned** _  
_**up bubbles. Toothless lunges out of the bars - grabbing** _  
_**Stoick.** _  
_**BOOM! In an explosion of sea water, Toothless lands on the** _  
_**shore, setting Stoick down and releasing him. Hiccup is awed.** _  
_**The ground rumbles underfoot. The monster screeches. Its** _  
_**massive claws stomp around in the smoke.** _  
_**Stoick gives way as Toothless mounts the rock and raises his** _  
_**wings. He turns to Hiccup and SNORTS - 'Let's go.'** _

"Got a Red Death to take down," Hiccup nods his head determined.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**You got it, bud.**

_**Hiccup climbs onto Toothless and buckles himself in.** _  
_**Stoick grabs his arm.** _

**STOICK**  
**Hiccup. I'm sorry...for**  
**Everything.**

Hiccup turns around in his seat, ignoring the stares switching between father and son. He smiles at Stoick.

**HICCUP**  
**Yeah...me too.**

Stoick smiles back.

**STOICK**  
**You don't have to go up there.**

"It's gonna be fine, Dad," Hiccup answers the screen, still staring at his father, "we're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard."

"Thought you said that phrase was stupid," Tuffnut says, interrupting the moment.

"Idiot!" Ruffnut punches him.

**HICCUP**  
**We're Vikings. It's an occupational**  
**hazard.**

_**They exchange smiles.** _

**STOICK**  
**I'm proud to call you my son.**

_**Hiccup beams, taken aback.** _

Hiccups eyes widen, and his smile drops in surprise. His grin slowly starts back up, beaming at the long awaited phrase.

**HICCUP**  
**Thanks dad.**

_**Stoick lets go of Hiccup's arm.** _

Hiccup turns around, still grinning widely, just in time to see himself fly off. He quickly drops the grin to focus on the task at hand.

_**Hiccup spurs Toothless on, charged with his father's belief** _  
_**in him. They rocket into the sky as Stoick watches.** _  
_**IN THE AIR** _  
_**Astrid sees Toothless streaking through the sky, gaining** _  
_**altitude.** _

**ASTRID  
** **He's up!**

_**She turns to Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who are ARGUING and** _  
_**THROWING PUNCHES at each other.** _

**ASTRID (CONT'D)**  
**Get Snotlout out of there!**

_**IN MID-PUNCH, the twins look over to see Snotlout stranded on** _  
_**the monster's head. They eye each other.** _

**TUFFNUT RUFFNUT**  
**I'm on it! I'm on it!**

**TUFFNUT**  
**I'm on it first! I'm ahead of you.**

"Uh, guys. Same dragon."

_**The twins spot Snotlout on the giant dragon and steer their** _  
_**Zippleback in his direction.** _

**RUFFNUT**  
**Hey! Let me drive!**

_**The twins peel off, ARGUING as they race each other to the** _  
_**monster.** _

_**Snotlout sees the Zippleback diving toward him and DASHES** _  
_**down the Red Death's head. He runs up the end of its horn...** _  
_**As the twins sweep past, both missing him... but perfectly** _  
_**snatching him where the necks merge. Ruff and Tuff eye each** _  
_**other, surprised and impressed.** _

**TUFFNUT**  
**I can't believe that worked.**

"That's reassuring," Hiccup grins, glad things are finally going right.

_**The Red Death spots Astrid and INHALES, preparing to blast.** _  
_**She and her Nadder get caught in the suction, pulled toward** _  
_**the monster's gaping mouth.** _  
_**ON THE GROUND** _  
_**The Vikings watch with dread. They hear the familiar whir of** _  
_**the...** _

**GOBBER**  
**Night Fury! Get down!**

Hiccups heaves a great (and incredibly sarcastic) sigh, "I thought we were over this Gobber."

_**IN THE AIR** _  
_**A massive BLAST jolts the Red Death's head sideways. Astrid** _  
_**is thrown clear of its mouth... AND her Nadder. She tumbles** _  
_**through the air. The ground races toward her, when...** _

The crowd stares worriedly (maybe not as intently as if it had been on real life) but doesn't take the time to yell. It didn't seem right for her to die at this point. Their thoughts were confirmed when...

_**She's suddenly CAUGHT by the leg. She looks up to see** _  
_**Toothless.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Did you get her?**

"Oh, haha. Make a joke at the cost of my life," she looks at him dryly.

"Hmm, you've been spending too much time with me..."

_**Toothless grunts.** _  
_**ON THE GROUND** _  
_**They fly over the crowd of Vikings and set Astrid down, mid-** _  
_**run. They circle back to reengage - a black speck against the** _  
_**clouds.** _

**ASTRID**  
**(BREATHLESS)**  
**Go.**

"Going. And I'm ending this," Hiccup spoke, as if he were the one onscreen at the moment.

"Wait, you're not going alone, are you?" Gobber asks, suddenly realizing what Hiccup's plan was from the beginning.

Hiccup looks back at him, as if he wasn't expecting the question. "It's only logical. I've been training with Toothless for longer than them, and even if they had the same training as I, only a Night Fury could outrun that," Hiccup reasons.

"That's mighty dangerous right there lad." Vikings agree, but don't argue along. Hiccup was right. He was the only one who could stop this war. The realization only added to the surprising things they'd been finding out about Hiccup this past hour.

_**IN THE AIR** _  
_**Hiccup and Toothless rocket past the Red Death's head and** _  
_**climb, higher and higher.** _

**HICCUP**  
**(TO TOOTHLESS)**  
**That thing has wings! Okay, let's**  
**see if it can use them!**

"Uh...don't all dragons have those?" Snotlout asked.

" _That_. Is not a dragon," Hiccup refused to think so. Not when dragons so far had been the best thing in his future life, yet this one was the bane of Berk's and the dragon's existence.. The dragons nodded in agreement.

_**Hiccup pulls Toothless into a turn. They plummet, gaining** _  
_**tremendous speed. The wind buffets them as they target the** _  
_**Red Death as super sonic speed.** _  
_**KABLAM! Toothless unloads a fireball against the Red Death's** _  
_**head. It goes down with a rumble as they climb anew.** _  
_**ON THE GROUND** _  
_**The Vikings shield themselves from the dust of the fallen** _  
_**monster... as its wings unfold and extend.** _  
_**IN THE AIR** _  
_**Hiccup looks back as they put distance between them.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Do you think that did it?**

_**Suddenly, the enraged behemoth RISES into frame... flapping** _  
_**its wings furiously. A daunting sight.** _

"Yup," he answers himself. He may be the only one in the room who still had the ability to speak. All the other vikings and dragons couldn't see past the fact that such a great beast was flying (or rather, such a lazy queen was flying).

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Well, he can fly.**

_**Hiccup and Toothless DIVE into the tangled sea stacks - they** _  
_**weave through the rock like rabbits through a briar. The Red** _  
_**Death SNAPS at them, but cannot reach them. Hiccup and** _  
_**Toothless PULL AHEAD.** _

_This is not happening_ , they try to convince themselves, sure this was too dangerous, even for Hiccup. They did not question the fact that they suddenly thought of Hiccup so strong, whether it was Stoick strong or not. It was suddenly natural for Hiccup to be the brave, strong and smart viking leader they always yet never wanted him to be.

_**The Red Death SMASHES through the canopy of rock and pulls in** _  
_**behind Toothless. He BURSTS THROUGH fifty-foot formations** _  
_**like they were saplings.** _  
_**ON THE GROUND** _  
_**Stoick, Gobber, and the Teens watch as Hiccup and Toothless** _  
_**streak past, weaving through sea stacks.** _

**TEENS**  
**Woohoo! Yeah!**

Hiccup gives a small smile. He turned to face Toothless and gave the dragon a scratch.

"It won't be just you and me anymore, will it bud?"

_**A moment later the Red Death SMASHES the sea stacks to dust** _  
_**in hot pursuit. The Vikings mood is quenched.** _

His mood immediately changes from joyfully calm to sarcastically frightened.

"Maybe it'll just be them," he said dryly, but continued to scratch Toothless. If he couldn't be calm, he might as well calm down his own Night Fury.

Toothless was far from calm however, seeing as they couldn't outrun the Red Death.

"If only we could hide from her," Hiccup muttered to himself. An idea suddenly came up and rolled his eyes. "I''m stupid."

Toothless took his own moment to realize they were both incredibly stupid to not have noticed the major advantage they had.

He wasn't a Night Fury for no reason.

_**IN THE AIR** _  
_**Hiccup and Toothless can't slow the monster down. Hiccup eyes** _  
_**the clouds above. An idea hits him. He locks eyes with** _  
_**Toothless.** _

**HICCUP**  
**Okay Toothless, time to disappear.**

_**Toothless PULLS into a steep climb, heading toward the** _  
_**clouds.** _

"Just in time."

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Come on bud!**

_**The Red Death follows, closing in fast.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(hearing the gas)**  
**Here it comes!**

_**BLAST! They narrowly dodge a column of flame and smoke. They** _  
_**reach the low-hanging clouds and pierce them. The monster** _  
_**follows, immediately losing them in the hampered visibility.** _  
_**It roars irritably.** _  
_**From out of nowhere, Toothless DIVES at the huge dragon,** _  
_**BLASTING and PUNCTURING a hole in its wing. Toothless and** _  
_**Hiccup are gone again before the dragon can get a shot at** _  
_**Them.** _

The crowd cheers them on, both dragons and Vikings joining in a rowdy choir. Both are amazed by the synchronization the dragon and boy have even while battling a creature feared by all.

_**ON THE GROUND** _  
_**The Vikings stare up at the sky listening to the resounding** _  
_**BOOMS and watching FLASHES light up the clouds.** _  
_**Gobber places a hand on Stoick's shoulder.** _

The Vikings feel themselves smile sympathetically at the on-screen Stoick. If all they could see were flashes of light, there was no telling what Hiccup's condition would be by the end of the battle. Thankfully, they already knew the rider and dragon were (in less than prestige conditions, but) safe.

_**IN THE AIR** _  
_**HICCUP and TOOTHLESS dive in again and again, using the** _  
_**clouds to hide and surprise as they puncture the monster's** _  
_**wings.** _  
_**It BELLOWS in frustration and WHIRLS around, unleashing fire** _  
_**blindly, in all directions.** _

The Vikings flinch, feeling themselves duck almost instinctively.

_**Hiccup sees the glow of fire cutting towards them.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Watch out!**

_**The random blast CLIPS Toothless' tail. It's heavily damaged.** _

The Vikings and dragons are horrified at the sight. _Were Hiccup and Toothless going to fall to their death? Was the Red Death going to win after all?_

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Okay, time's up. Let's see if this**  
**Works.**

_**He pulls Toothless into a turn. They fly directly into the** _  
_**Red Death's face, taunting it.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Come on! Is that the best you can**  
**do!?**

"You kill yourself Hiccup," Gobber said, gaining a grin from the fourteen year old.

"You're talking to the boy who invented the half-pipe," he said, reminding Gobber of the time he "accidentally" pushed Hiccup off a snowy hill with nothing but a plank of wood **(half tid-bit!)**.

_**Toothless utters an insult too, and they jackknife into a** _  
_**steep dive. The Red Death pursues.** _  
_**Toothless PUMPS his wings, racing faster than he's ever gone** _  
_**before. Hiccup and Toothless stay just ahead of the Red Death** _  
_**\- no longer trying to evade it.** _  
_**Hiccup glances back to check the tail - it's disintegrating.** _

Toothless wishes he could fly just as fast as he's gone before. But he couldn't. No matter how synchronized he and Hiccup may be, they would take a while to reach top speed. Also, his tail was burning off at that moment...

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Stay with me buddy. We're good.**  
**Just a little bit longer**

_If only I could comfort you_ , Toothless butts his head against Hiccup's stomach, reassuring the boy. Hiccup had been grabbing on the the sidearm rather painfully, but he relaxed and smiled at his dragon.

"Thanks bud," he said, and pet him (still feeling stiff). No matter how carefree he may seem, he was still incredibly worried

Having been distracted by his dragon, Hiccup took his time to see how the movie was impacting the vikings. They all seemed just as worried as he felt. He looked from Astrid, who was leaning forward to the edge of his seat. The other teenagers were no better (except the twins who hadn't stopped cheering for a second). Fishlegs was even biting his nails.

His eyes went from Gobber's ever care-free expression (which did not hide the constant tapping of his good leg; a sign of nervousness) to even the dragon's worried gestures (drooping tails or ears, and terribly expressive eyes that made him wonder how he'd never considered them living, _feeling_ creatures).

_**The Red Death closes the gap. Hiccup tucks in and holds** _  
_**Toothless steady - allowing the monster to set its sights on** _  
_**them. It narrows its eyes.** _

Finally, his eyes landed over his father. It was the first time he'd ever seen Stoick so worried.

Hiccup almost smiled had it not been for the fact that his voice called out to Toothless on the screen. He turned around, just in time to see his Night Fury shoot.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Hold, Toothless.**

"Not so fire-proof on the inside," Hiccup repeats his own words, guessing what he's planning in the future.

Astrid gets the idea as well, and smiles. It was going to be alright! _Right?_

_**The Red Death OPENS his mouth. The familiar gas HISS emanates** _  
_**from his throat - ignition is coming.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**NOW!**

_**Hiccup HITS the PEDALS HARD as Toothless extends one wing.** _  
_**They PIVOT in place, hurtling directly into the Red Death's** _  
_**mouth.** _  
_**Toothless FIRES point blank down the monster's throat. Its** _  
_**amassing gas is ignited, BACKFIRING into the monster,** _  
_**erupting in a chain of blasts throughout its body.** _  
_**Hiccup and Toothless BURST from the clouds, the Red Death hot** _  
_**on their tail, exploding from within. It glances forward and** _  
_**sees the ground rushing up. It throws open its wings,** _  
_**attempting to put on the brakes, but the punctured, damaged** _  
_**wings can't stop its momentum.** _  
_**As the Red Death chokes on the expanding fireball, he sees** _  
_**Toothless suddenly pull out of the dive, streaking up, past** _  
_**its head.** _

"Yes!" Hiccup stands up, raising his fists in the air. The Vikings take a moment.

**The Red Death HITS the ground, head-first. It EXPLODES like**  
**the Hindenburg.**

And they all join Hiccup and the twins in cheering. They roar and stand up, jumping up and down. They were finally able to move again, and best of all: The Red Death was dead!Only Clara and Zero stayed seated, still watching the paused screen. They hid their expressions well (an accomplishment for one such as Clara; not so much for Zero).

_(Father and son hugged, Astrid soon followed and hugged Hiccup as well. Toothless jumped around wildly. The teenagers and the dragons from the movie managed to find each other -a strange meeting for each other, but no less heart-warming than Hiccup and Toothless's.)_

Once they finally calmed down (the twins had knocked themselves out at some point, so all was completely quiet), Snotlout asked, "So are we done here?"

"What?" Clara asked. " _No!_ The movie's not over! You still have to see," she trailed off, and slowly turned to look at Hiccup, almost sadly.

A foreboding reached Hiccup and he gulped. Astrid separated from him.

"What's going to happen?" she asked, glancing at Hiccup's nervous expression. Stoick edged closer to Hiccup, staring at the wizard couple intently. Toothless does the same. All eyes were on them.

"Sit," Clara said nonchalantly. "It's not too bad. I mean...No, it's pretty bad... But at least Vikings and dragons are still friends in the end, right Zero?" Zero shrugs. He couldn't care less.

The Vikings sat in their positions. Hiccup, deciding he'd rather stand next to Toothless, gave up his seat to his father.

_**Hiccup and Toothless weave through the monster's massive back** _  
_**plates, wings, and flailing legs - a high-speed recall of** _  
_**the FREE FALL slalom run. The expanding fireball races toward** _  
_**them, about to swallow them.** _  
_**They manage to clear the obstacles. Hiccup glances back.** _  
_**They're outrunning the fireball.** _  
_**He looks forward just in time to see the monster's massive** _  
_**club tail careening toward them.** _  
_**He tries to shift their direction. The last shreds of** _  
_**Toothless' tail tear away. Hiccup's pedals go DEAD.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**No. No.**

Maybe it was because they'd never heard Hiccup get so worried. Maybe it was because Hiccup pleading for his life seemed to be so wrong that when it happened, it hurt. Maybe it was because they'd all gotten to know him throughout the movie. But it hurt to see Hiccup in a state so near death.

_**Hiccup and Toothless can't maneuver - they're dead in the** _  
_**air. The giant club tail CLIPS Toothless, TEARING Hiccup from** _  
_**the harness and sending him tumbling against the backdrop of** _  
_**the fast-approaching fireball.** _

They wince, letting out a breath (almost a sob) when they see Hiccup lose consciousness.

_**Toothless STRUGGLES with all his might to reach the** _  
_**unconscious Hiccup. But the fireball swallows them both.** _

There was not one soul in the room who didn't let out a cry in anguish at seeing their hero (because that's what he was) fall into the pit of fire.

_**ON THE GROUND** _  
_**The Vikings watch in horror as Hiccup and Toothless disappear** _  
_**into the boiling inferno.** _

"No," Hiccup echoes himself. _This could not be happening!?_ He and Toothless...dead? " _No._ " He almost falls back, but luckily, Toothless holds him up with his tail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops. Cliff hanger. Sry!
> 
> This chapter is just the battle with the Red Death, but I don't wanna call it that. Stoick and Hiccup's relationship healed, Toothless and Hiccup together again, the vikings seeing the magic of dragon friendship in action, that cliff hanger... Which theme, which theme (I finally figured out it's theme, not "moral"!)?
> 
> Urgh! This chapter also had to be editing, but whatevs. Urgh! I don't wanna deal with this man! I'm watching TV and still have to italicize the real-time and script. Soo bored with editing. Whatevs. Whatevs Whatevs whatevs.
> 
> Chapter Name: Something. Lemme think... Freedom! Hiccup is free from his burdens (father's proud, he has friends, Red Death can leave the dragons -and Berk- alone)! Perfect name, sort of. You can tell the show I was watching just ended. Yup. Well, actually, Hiccup still has to find out if he survived or not.
> 
> Real Chapter Name: Freedom On Its Way
> 
> See ya, I guess


	14. Free At Last

**DISSOLVE TO:**  
**A whiteout of ash. And through it comes...**

**STOICK**  
**Hiccup? Hiccup!?**

_**Stoick appears, searching desperately. Everything is** _  
_**scorched. Even the ground is smoking from the terrible heat.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**Hiccup!? Son!?**

_**Through the ash, Stoick the motionless silhouette of** _  
_**Toothless.** _

They stay silent, not daring enough to breath in fear of somehow being the cause of Movie-Hiccup dying.

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**(GRAVE)**  
**Hiccup.**

_**He hurries to the dragon's side. Toothless is roughed up, but** _  
_**conscious. His scorched saddle, however, is vacant.** _

Some Vikings gasp, realizing Hiccup is no where to be found.

"No," Hiccup hears Astrid whisper, but he couldn't bring himseldf to feel too sad for her. It was _him_ who'd died! He wanted to cry, to scream it was unfair, to curse everyone and everything!

But Toothless moaned, and Hiccup realized he wasn't the only one who was depressed. He forced a smile, sure it looked grim, but continued to try and soothe Toothless by petting him.

"It's fine, Bud," his voice did not crack there! "I'll be..." he couldn't finish the sentence. How was he going to be _fine_? He couldn't just lie like that.

He tries to ignore everyone else and his own feeling of despair, hoping to comfort his dragon.

But most of all, he tries to ignore a soft sob next to him. Mostly, because that sob doesn't belong to Astrid, and Vikings, especially chiefs, do not cry.

_**Stoick looks to the sky in despair. He buckles at the knees,** _  
_**overwhelmed by the loss.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**Oh son...I did this...**

"No. _I_ did," Hiccup mutters, just loud enough for Stoick to hear. Of course, no heed is paid to that statement. Even Hiccup couldn't help but want to blame his father. Blame anyone else. Blame Astrid. Blame the Red Death. Blame Gobber. Blame the teenagers. Blame Clara. Blame Toothle-

He sighed. He wasn't going to cry.

_**Astrid pushes through the crowd, her eyes welling up.** _

_No, don't_ you _cry_ , Hiccup thought. Even the kids were hugging Gothi, sobbing their hearts off.

_**Followed by Gobber. They flank Stoick as he kneels, slumped** _  
_**over.** _  
_**Behind them, a ring of Vikings form, keeping a respectful** _  
_**distance. As the dust and smoke clear, a ring of wild** _  
_**dragons can also be seen, gathering just behind and between** _  
_**the Vikings.** _  
_**Toothless stirs and groggily rolls his head toward Stoick.** _  
_**Their eyes meet.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**I'm so sorry...**

A moment of foreshadowing catches Hiccup's attention. He looks up at the screen in hope. Could he have...

_**Toothless unfolds his wings, revealing Hiccup, unconscious,** _  
_**clutched safely against his chest. Stoick's eyes widen.** _

They all gasp in surprise. Hiccup was...

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**Hiccup.**

_**He scoops Hiccup into his arms. Listens to his heart. Bursts** _  
_**into relieved laughter.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**He's alive!**

Hiccup lets out a half laugh, half breath. He was alive!

**(TO TOOTHLESS)**  
**You brought him back alive!**

Toothless licks him happily. _'I didn't doubt for a_ second _I saved you! Who do you think I am?!'_

"Haha! To-Toothless!" Hiccup had been tackled to the ground at some point, and was trying to push Toothless off (not really).

_**The crowd roars. Followed by the dragons. The Vikings look** _  
_**around to find themselves surrounded.** _  
_**Stoick leans close to Toothless, meeting him eye to eye.** _

The Vikings and dragons all cheer, joining in the victory of Hiccup being alive.

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**(PRIVATELY)**  
**Thank you... for saving my son.**

Toothless and Stoick look at each other and nod in mutual agreement. They may have been completely different in species and maybe even personality, but there was one thing for sure.

They both loved Hiccup very much.

_**Gobber looks Hiccup up and down.** _

**GOBBER**  
**Well, you know... most of him.**

The cheering stops abruptly. The Vikings and dragons turn their heads to the screen, looking at the nonchalant Gobber with worried expressions.

_**Stoick glances back at him. Gobber shrugs, redirecting his** _  
_**eyes toward...** _

"Wait. What?"

_**INT. STOICK'S HOUSE - DAY** _

_**CLOSE ON** _  
_**HICCUP, asleep, his head on a pillow. Healing scars on his** _  
_**face show that maybe a week or two have passed.** _

"Wait. What happened to me! And how long have I been there?"

"A week or two," Clara answers the latter.

_**Toothless hovers over him, WHINING and GRUMBLING impatiently.** _  
_**Hiccup stirs. Opens his eyes.** _

**HICCUP**  
**(GROGGY)**  
**Oh, hey Toothless.**

Toothless excitedly nuzzles and nudges Hiccup.

Hiccup laughs. "I'm happy I'm alive too Bud."

_**Toothless nudges him playfully.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Okay, okay! I'm happy to see you**  
**too, bud. Now just-**

_**Toothless steps on his groin, causing Hiccup to sit BOLT** _  
_**UPRIGHT with a YELP.** _

Hiccup winces and the audience let's out a mixture of laughing and sympathy. For some men here, such a pain was no joke.

_**He looks around, confounded. He's in his bed, moved beside** _  
_**the fire pit on the main floor of his house.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**I'm in my house.**  
**(re: Toothless, leaning**  
**over him, excited)**  
**You're in my house.**

_**Toothless TEARS around the room, knocking things over, far** _  
_**too big for the space.** _

"Who let him in?" Hiccup asked.

 _'You expected them_ not _to let me in? I'm a_ 'Night Fury' _! Let me in or I'll let_ myself _in!'_

"He's destroying the house," Stoick laughs, not seeming too preoccupied.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Uh...does my dad know you're in**  
**here?!**

_**Toothless pauses at the foot of the bed, tongue wagging. He** _  
_**eyes the rafters... and LEAPS UP onto them, brimming with** _  
_**'happy dog' energy.** _

Some Vikings chuckle in amusement. Nobody could resist Toothless's adorable hyperactiveness.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**(DISTRESSED)**  
**Okay, okay - no Toothless! Aw,**  
**come on...**

_**Hiccup shifts to get out of bed... then pauses... sensing** _  
_**that something is wrong.** _  
_**He peels back the covers slowly. What he sees startles,** _  
_**horrifies, and overwhelms him - all at once.** _

Hiccup furrows his eyes, sensing something is wrong. The other Vikings continue to laugh, but when Hiccup and Toothless share a look onscreen, they stop.

"What..." Hiccup tries to configure what could be so bad that had been lying under the sheets. "Did I lose a leg or somethin'?" he joked. Clara winced.

_**ON THE BARE FLOOR** _  
_**His booted foot touches down.** _

"Or not."

_**Followed by a mechanical prosthetic in place of his second leg.** _

Many eyes widen at the new "foot".

"Or... Yes," Hiccup let out. _Wow. Lost a foot._

_**It's an ingenious spring-loaded replacement, made of wood and iron.** _  
_**Toothless lands by the bed and approaches calmly, sniffing** _  
_**the new leg. He raises his eyes to meet Hiccup's, seemingly** _  
_**aware of what Hiccup is going through.** _

"I-" Hiccup doesn't know what to say. _What to say to a lost foot?_ He turned to look at the only other person he knew personally to have ever lost a limb. Two in fact.

Gobber seemed just as horrified, and probably for the right reason.

"A fourteen year old boy," he whispers.

"You lost you foot _and_ your arm-" Hiccup tried to complain. Rather than to calm down Gobber's horror, he was was trying to calm his own terror. He was cut off by Gobber.

"But _I_ was a full-grown man who _chose_ to fight a dragon for _fun_. You..." ' _you did it to save us.'_

Stoick remained silent, still staring at the not-foot. It seemed so...Hiccup.

"It suits you," he finally commented. He cringed slightly, already regretting the words. He turned to look for his son's reaction.

Hiccup stared for a moment wondering if he was serious. Then he let out a laugh. He laughed harder and harder until they all had no choice but to join in with him.

Laughing was better than crying, right?

_**Hiccup braces himself on the bedpost and tries to stand on** _  
_**it. He winces and stifles the pain...** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Okay...okay...**

_**... but STUMBLES with the first step. Toothless catches** _  
_**Hiccup's fall with his head... and slowly lifts him up,** _  
_**stabilizing him.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Thanks bud.**

Hiccup smiles. Even if he lost his foot (the one used to control Toothless's tail of all legs!) Toothless would stay next to him to support him.

"Wow. What a pair. You can't fly right; I can't walk right. I guess I deserved this," Hiccup smiles, slightly wincing at the joke that might've come too soon, even for him.

_**Hiccup leans on him like a crutch. They take a few steps** _  
_**together.** _  
_**Their missing parts form a poetic silhouette as they** _ **make**  
_**thei** **r** **way toward the door.** _  
_**Hiccup pries it open (as he did in the opening scene),** _

"Deja Vu," Clara says.

"I feel I've seen this before," Hiccup says.

_**revealing a MONSTROUS NIGHTMARE flapping outside the door.** _  
_**Hiccup YELPS and slams the door closed. He turns to** _  
_**Toothless, alarmed.** _

"Yep. Totally seen it. Is that Nightmare gonna chase after me too?" Hiccup pointed at the screen. He didn't think he could walk, much less run.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Toothless? Stay here, bud.**

"Uh, wouldn't be better if he came _with_ you?" Snotlout asked.

_**Hiccup pauses... and cracks the door open again. He peeks** _  
_**outside, his eyes widening. He allows to door to swing open,** _  
_**revealing...** _  
_**... the Monstrous Nightmare, carrying Snotlout on its back.** _

"Oh sweet. I'm on my dragon again!" Snotlout stares at the screen in anticipation.

**SNOTLOUT**  
**Come on guys, get ready! Hold on**  
**tight! Here we go!**

_**A class of newbie dragon riders follow him through frame on a** _  
_**variety of dragons, pulling back the curtain on an amazing** _  
_**vista in which:** _  
_**Vikings and dragons mill about by the dozen, basking on the** _  
_**rooftops, weaving along the plaza. No one seems upset, there** _  
_**isn't a sword in sight.** _  
_**Under the framework of a MASSIVE BARN, a Nadder BLASTS fire** _  
_**onto a metal brace. It steps back to let a Viking hammer it** _  
_**into shape. Nearby, a Gronkle lands, carrying a tree trunk in** _  
_**his mouth. He shows a Viking what he's found. The Viking pats** _  
_**his head. Another Viking backs a Zippleback into a stall to** _  
_**check it for size.** _  
_**Hiccup takes a step outside, finding Stoick waiting for him** _  
_**on the step.** _

"This. Is. Awesome," Hiccup looks at the screen in awe.

**HICCUP**  
**I knew it. I'm dead.**

_**Stoick laughs.** _

**STOICK**  
**No, but you gave it your best shot.**

"What I live for," Hiccup said without thinking, still amazed.

_**He puts his arm around Hiccup, steadying him. He gestures to** _  
_**the transformed village.** _

**STOICK (CONT'D)**  
**So? What do you think?**

_**Hiccup just shrugs, amazed.** _  
_**Below, the plaza, villagers take notice.** _

**VIKING #1**  
**Hey look! It's Hiccup!**

_**They rush over, surrounding him with a hero's welcome.** _

**VIKING #2**  
**Hiccup, how you doin' mate?**

**VIKING #3**  
**It's great to see you up and about.**

**STOICK**  
**(SWEETLY)**  
**Turns out all we needed was a**  
**little more of...**  
**(GESTURES NON-SPECIFICALLY**  
**AT HICCUP)**  
**... this.**

**HICCUP**  
**(PLAYING ALONG)**  
**You just gestured to all of me.**

The irony causes the crowd to laugh.

**GOBBER (O.S.)**  
**Well. Most of you.**

_**Gobber pushes through the crowd, beaming proudly.** _

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**  
**(re: the prosthetic leg)**  
**That bit's my handiwork. With a**  
**little Hiccup flare thrown in.**  
**Think it'll do?**

**HICCUP**  
**(bittersweet, coming to**  
**TERMS)**  
**I might make a few tweaks.**

They laugh along, appreciating the humour.

_**Astrid appears and jabs Hiccup in the arm. Hiccup recoils** _  
_**with a grumble.** _

"Hey! Seriously? I just- _urgh_ ," Hiccup glares at the screen in exasperation.

**ASTRID**  
**That's for scaring me.**

This was _not_ going to work out. If she thought she could just hit him anytime she wanted (especially when he just woke up after two weeks of almost _dying_ ) then she had another thing coming! He was not _that_ love-struck! He-

**HICCUP**  
**(PROTESTING)**  
**What, is it always going to be this**  
**way? Cause I...**

_**She grabs him aggressively... then kisses him. Hoots and** _  
_**hollers follow.** _

He could get used to it...

Hiccup stops glaring at the screen, replacing the frown with a small smile.

He ignores the Vikings cheering him on and cat-calling.

_(Snotlout, for once, couldn't bring himself to care for Astrid. He was gong to ride a dragon in the future! The heart was not something used often for someone like Snotlout, so the warmth he could already feel overwhelmed him. He decided that Astrid was the least of his problems at the moment.)_

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**... could get used to it.**

_**Gobber presents Hiccup with a rebuilt saddle, rigging, and** _  
_**tail.** _

**GOBBER**  
**Welcome home.**

_**Suddenly, Toothless pounces on the crowd, crushing several** _  
_**unsuspecting Vikings under his weight.** _

**VIKING**  
**Night Fury, get down!**

_**Toothless eyes the new tail excitedly, tongue wagging. Amidst** _  
_**the groans and grumbles, Hiccup and Astrid exchange a** _  
_**sheepish grin.** _

"Couldn't wait any longer, huh Toothless?" Hiccup pets said dragon.

_**CLOSE ON** _  
_**Hiccup's prosthetic foot, snapping into the modified stirrup.** _

"Well, neither could I," he finishes.

_**The two pieces click together, forming a single shape.** _  
_**Astride Toothless, he's whole again. He rotates the pedal.** _  
_**The new tail opens. Bright red with a skull and Viking horns** _  
_**emblazoned on it. Hiccup approves.** _

"Nice," Hiccup comments.

_**CUT BACK TO REVEAL...** _  
_**Hiccup and Toothless, saddled up and ready to fly. Astrid** _  
_**backs her Nadder into position.** _

**HICCUP**  
**(TO TOOTHLESS)  
** **You ready?  
**

_**Toothless SNORTS an excited 'yes!'  
** _ _**From his mount, Hiccup looks out over the changed world.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because the last chapter is just the monologue. Seemed fitting enough, whether it cut off rather strangely or not. Meh.
> 
> So. Erm. Free at last? Yeah. sure. I'm so bored. Out. Of. My. Mind.
> 
> I doubt Hiccup could come to terms that fast (he lost a friggin LEG!).
> 
> PS: Don't worry. The last chapter isn't worth the wait. I'll upload it right after this one. Gods I'm tired. Homecoming's coming and band practice was...actually pretty mellow. Meh.
> 
> Chapter Name: Free At Last
> 
> [Go onto the next chapter for my final salutation!]


	15. This is Berk

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**This... is Berk.**

Some cheering from the crowd, now that they were no longer wary of the screen mentioning their home.

**(BEAT)**  
**It snows nine months of the year...**  
**and hails the other three.**

_**They LEAP into the bright blue sky, together as one. Astrid** _  
_**follows, giving chase.** _

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**  
**Any food that grows here is tough**  
**and tasteless. The people that grow**  
**here are even more so.**

They had no choice but to agree. They were Vikings after all. The Vikings of Berk, even Stoick, laughed.

_**Hiccup and Astrid race their dragons through the village -** _  
_**under eaves, over rooftops, down cliff-sides, and between** _  
_**ship masts. It's a high energy, romantic dance of sorts.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**The only upsides are the pets.**  
**While other places have...ponies or**  
**parrots, we have...**

Hiccup scoffs at the mention of other pets. Sure you could ride ponies, but they were _laaame._ And parrots? They could fly, but couldn't be ridden. _Lamer~_.

_**Their fellow recruits join them as they take to the open sky,** _  
_**rocketing far above the village. The Northern sky swirls with** _  
_**blazing, multicolored dragons.** _

_**Hiccup and Toothless break from the pack, spinning into the** _  
_**blinding sun.** _

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
**(PROUDLY)**  
**... Dragons.**

Hiccup had a feeling life was going to get a lot better from now on.

_**FADE TO WHITE** _

The room stays silent before Clara starts to clap slowly, gaining speed as her smile widened.

"I love this movie."

"I love my life," Hiccup added.

"I told you it would be great!"

"Clara," Zero said.

Clara pouted but turned to Hiccup and said, "I've gotta send you guys home now..."

"Great! I can test flying by my-"

"But you've got to forget everything," Zero cut him short. Hiccup stopped.

"What? And let me take Toothless's tail? Let me lose a leg? You-"

" _We_ will not tamper with destiny. Clara was abusing her powers by doing this, and we must leave no tracks of this ever happening."

"But-"

"I'm sorry. Look at the bright side. Experience is always better than watching, right?"

The room stayed silent for a second, before Fishlegs interrupted the dread and resignation others felt.

"But will we be able to gain as much experience?" Fishlegs asked. He was speaking for for everyone else but Hiccup. Would they know what happened? Understand what the boy went through without having watched the movie?

Clara looks at him in surprise, before giving him a small smile. "No. Actually, you guys kind of get different attitudes. Totally disrespecful towards him."

Fishlegs sighed. What he expected. Hiccup's reaction was a bit more exaggerated.

"Oh, come on!"

"Sorry dude," she shrugged, "life's life."

And everything went black.

* * *

Hiccup woke up on his bed, wincing at the light coming from his window.

"Is it noon already?" He asked himself. "And how'd I get in my bed?"

He woke himself completely and walked outside to see his dad waking up too.

"Morning Dad... Or noon, I guess..."

Stoick greeted him just as well before asking him if he was going to the blacksmith today.

"You're right! See ya!" Hiccup yelled, before starting to run to Gobber's.

Oddly enough, his legs were stiffer than usual. He also couldn't help but notice everyone else seemed to just be waking up too.

 _I guess we_ all _overslept_ , he thought, before entering the smithie.

"Noon Gobber," he saluted, putting on his apron.

_**Fin.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What'd I tell you about that anti-climactic ending? Like I said, this whole thing was illegal. Clara shouldn't have done this from the start, and Zero shouldn't have let it happen. But Zero's unpredictable and Clara more so (if not the other way around).
> 
> This chapter is gonna be called either Rainbow (to honor my storm references) or This is Berk (because I needed a cliche title). Probably the latter, because I'm soo over the storm analogy.
> 
> Don't worry guys. I'm gonna start on Gift of the Night Fury immediately after I upload this chapter.
> 
> Have a nice evening!


End file.
